BBC corrects Scotland drug death figure in Radio Scotland coverage

The BBC has issued a correction regarding a Radio Scotland broadcast on August 31, 2025, in which it misquoted the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2023. The introduction had stated the figure was “1,339” - in fact, that was the 2020 total. The correct number for 2023 is 1,172.

The original misstatement framed Scotland’s drug death crisis as continuing at 2020’s record levels, potentially exaggerating recent mortality trends. By using 1,339 instead of 1,172, the broadcast overstated the current toll by about 14 %. That kind of numerical slip can alter public and policy perception, especially in coverage of a sensitive health issue.

Accurate reporting of mortality statistics is especially important in public health journalism: numbers shape urgency, resource allocation, and political pressure. A broadcaster stating outdated figures as current misinforms audiences about the scale and direction of a crisis. The correction restores factual clarity and ensures accountability in how statistics are referenced on air.

This correction also illustrates the tension between real-time broadcasting and heavy statistical verification — the risk that reliance on memory, shorthand or prior data leads to misreporting. It underlines the need for rigorous pre-broadcast checks, particularly when citing sensitive, high-stakes data.

By correcting the record publicly, the BBC affirms that even on live or pre-recorded radio, factual precision matters — especially in health coverage where each number reflects lives lost.