FOI 26-264 Alcohol and Drug related incidents
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-264 Alcohol and Drug related incidents
- Request Date
- 11 Jun 2026
- Response Date
- 30 Jun 2026
- Information Requested
Would you be able to provide information on the following: - the number of ambulance call outs for overdoses in Scotland, broken down by region if possible - the number of call outs where drugs were influencing/involved in presentations, not overdoses - the number of call outs where alcohol are influencing/involved in presentations, not overdoses
- Response
Important information to consider when interpreting this data
This report has been produced in two parts, this is due to the ongoing integration of a new system. This data cannot be merged into one table due to an overlap in a phased introduction of each system and the methodology for the data time frames is different.
The first tab of the sheet takes data collected from our legacy system (T2) and the second tab of the sheet details data collected from (T3); these figures should not be added together.
For the given data, you will see that some of the figures are shown as, five or less than five, please note that this figure has been suppressed because the statistical value is less than five but greater than zero. The Scottish Ambulance service has a duty, under the Data Protection Act to avoid directly or indirectly revealing any personal details. It is therefore widely understood that provision of statistics on small numbers, five or less are statistically suppressed upon disclosure.
Please see the attached sheet where the first tab details five tables with the following information from the T2 system:
- The total attended incidents with the final code of overdose broken down by region from 01/01/2020 - 11/06/2026 inclusive.
- The total attended incidents with the final code of overdose and the overdose substances or substances affecting the condition was noted as drugs, broken down by region from 01/01/2020 - 11/06/2026 inclusive.
- The total attended incidents where the final code was NOT overdose and the substances affecting the condition was noted as drugs, broken down by region from 01/01/2020 - 11/06/2026 inclusive.
- The total attended incidents with the final code of overdose and the overdose substances or substances affecting the condition was noted as alcohol, broken down by region from 01/01/2020 - 11/06/2026 inclusive.
- The total attended incidents where the final code was NOT overdose and the substances affecting the condition was noted as alcohol, broken down by region from 01/01/2020 - 11/06/2026 inclusive.
The second tab from T3, details all the same tables as above but pulled from the T3 system. These figures should not be added together with the T2 figures as this will give an over-inflated figure and will not be a true representation of the incidents attended.
For the second and third tables provided on each sheet, please see below a list of drugs used in the analysis:
T2 Overdose Substances – Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, New Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Prescription Benzodiazepines, and Street Benzodiazepines.
T2 Substance Affecting Condition – Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, New Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Prescription Benzodiazepines and Street Benzodiazepines.
T3 Overdose Substances – Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Ecstasy, LSD, New Psychoactive Substances, Prescription Benzodiazepines and Street Benzodiazepines.
T3 Substance Affecting Condition – Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Ecstasy, LSD, New Psychoactive Substances, Prescription Benzodiazepines and Street Benzodiazepines.
- Response Documents
