THE long-delayed publication of the Scottish drug death statistics for 2019 inevitably created a lot of media interest. It’s becoming an annual event, but not one to celebrate. Then there is the political fallout with demands for greater investment in drug treatment services and calls for the Public Health Minister to resign. It’s understandable that the general reaction is one of dismay, frustration and anger – how can this be happening in Scotland? Why us? The answers to these questions are unhelpfully complex and the solutions equally challenging. Each one of these 1264 deaths is an avoidable tragedy which leaves a legacy of pain and misery for those that were close to them.