THE NUMBER of drug-related deaths in the Glasgow area has soared by 36% in the last year.

New figures published by the National Records of Scotland show that 189 people suffered drug-related deaths in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde region in 2014.

The data makes up almost a third of all drug-related deaths in Scotland, and has increased from 138 the previous year.

Heroin or morphine was implicated in the deaths of 91 people last year, while alcohol was involved in the deaths of 33 people.

Methadone was involved in the deaths of 54 people, and opiates generally were linked to the deaths of 155 people in the NHSGCC area.

Overall in Scotland 613 people suffered a drug-related death in 2014; the highest figure recorded.

Politicians, drug experts and charities have slammed the statistics and said more must be done to improve the figures.

Christine Duncan, the Chief Executive of Glasgow-based charity Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs said she was "very concerned" about the findings.

MSs Duncan said: " We are obviously very concerned at the significant increase in the number of drug related deaths across Scotland and specifically the fact that Greater Glasgow and Clyde accounts for 31% of all deaths last year.

"For each tragic death, there are many grieving families and friends left behind wondering how they could have done something to prevent the deaths.

"One of the best responses is to see that as many people with substance misuse problems access and are retained in services."

Scottish Labour Justice Spokesperson Graeme Pearson said: "For eight years the SNP government has had little to say about drugs.

"Four years ago we saw a record high in drug related deaths, and now today we see another one.

"The Scottish Government should investigate why there has been such a large spike.

"It is also clear that any response to this will need a joined up approach, across health, welfare, education and justice, but the first step from the SNP Government has to be recognising there is a problem here."

But the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Paul Wheelhouse, said there had been "some progress" in tackling problem drug use but admitted : " Scotland still faces a huge challenge in tackling the damaging effects of long-term drug use among an ageing cohort of individuals in Scotland.

"This group of individuals often have long-term, chronic health problems as a result of sustained and, in many cases, increasingly chaotic drug-use issues...We need to better understand the needs of particular sub-groups and to better understand what role the purity, or strength, of illicit drugs is playing in increasing fatalities."