Drug Use in the Scottish Highlands

Abstract

Relatively few studies have been conducted in rural, or semi rural locations that permit comparisons to be drawn with studies of drug use in urban areas. This study examined patterns of drug use in the Scottish Highlands. It was found that all forms of drug use occur in the Highlands, and that injecting levels may be at least as high in rural as in urban areas, but with major variations across districts. Overall the data suggest that patterns and frequency of drug use are not substantially different in a rural area from those in an urban area. The difficulty of establishing services for drug users in rural areas is also addressed.