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INFORMATION FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES FOLLOWING A SUSPECTED DRUGS OVERDOSE
This leaflet is aimed at family and friends of someone who has died as a result of a
suspected drugs overdose. It is hoped it will explain what to expect when dealing with the
police and the procurator fiscal and identify sources of additional help available to support
you through your grief.
INITIAL POLICE INVESTIGATION
Police will attend all incidents of a suspected drugs overdose. Each incident will be treated
as suspicious and may result in someone being charged with supplying drugs, therefore
police must always treat the place where the person died as a crime scene. This is perfectly
normal procedure and ensures any evidence which relates to the supply of drugs is
preserved.
The following is normal procedure when dealing with a suspected drugs overdose:
 Ambulance service or a doctor will attend the place where the deceased died and
officially confirm the person is dead.
 CID officers will be called to the place where the person died as they will be the
main investigators of the possible crime of supplying drugs to the deceased.
 The place where the person died will immediately be treated as a crime scene and
will be photographed by police scenes of crime officers.
 Any items which relate to the suspected drugs overdose within the place where the
person died will be seized by police.
 These items will be submitted to the police forensic laboratory for testing to try and
establish the full cause of the persons death (for example, if drugs found they will
be seized and tested to find out what they contain and if for example there was
some harmful substance within).
 The deceased person will be taken to Glasgow Southern General hospital mortuary.
 The police will submit a report of the circumstances of the death to the procurator
fiscal.
Police will keep the deceased person’s property meantime and the place where the person
died will remain under the control of police meantime.
Police will notify main family contact of the death if they do not already know. The CID
officers investigating the suspected drugs overdose will be the main point of contact for
any questions or requests you may have. Make sure you take note of the officer’s name
and contact number if not already provided.
Divisional Enquiry Units can also be a source of information for families, the Glasgow
Enquiry unit is based at London Road Police Office and can be contacted on 0141 532 4752.
PROCURATOR FISCAL ROLE
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The procurator fiscal has a duty to investigate all sudden, suspicious, accidental and
unexplained deaths and any death occurring in circumstances which give rise to public
concern.
The following explains the role of the procurator fiscal when a suspected drugs overdose
occurs:
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After receiving a report of a suspected drugs overdose from police the procurator
fiscal will instruct the mortuary staff to carry out a post mortem examination of the
deceased with two doctors present.
Prior to this taking place family of the deceased will be required to attend the
mortuary with police and formally identify the deceased person. This will usually
be done via a TV monitor or through a glass window. Due to the death being
suspicious at that time family or friends cannot touch the person’ s body to ensure
all evidence is preserved until the post mortem is carried out.
Prior to the post mortem taking place the deceased person’s property such as
clothing, wallets or purses will be seized by police and recorded and kept within
the local police office.
After the post mortem examination any family or friends who would like to view
the deceased’s body should speak with the CID officer investigating the suspected
overdose and they will contact the procurator fiscal to check if this would be
possible.
Any cultural or religious requirements of the deceased person which may affect a
post mortem should be passed to the procurator fiscal as soon as possible. (Speak
to the CID officer investigating who will inform the procurator fiscal on your
behalf).
The procurator fiscal will instruct the police to investigate the person’s death and in
order to do this the police may take statements from the person’s family and
friends to try and find out as much as they can them to help with the investigation.
Police may also request access to the deceased person’s medical records.
If the cause of death can be established at the post mortem examination then a
death certificate will be issued.
However it may be necessary for samples of the deceased person’s urine or blood
to be taken and sent to the forensic laboratory for examination to establish the
exact cause of death (the examination of these samples may take some time).
The procurator fiscal will make the decision as to when the deceased person’s body
can be released for a funeral to take place. As mentioned above, due to the
examination of the relevant samples this may take some time. (The CID
investigator should be the main point of contact during this time and be able to
advise on individual timescales).
FAMILY/FRIENDS PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
As family or friends there are some practical things you will be required to do such as:
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Register the deceased person’s death. The death should be registered within 8 days
and can be registered in any registration district in Scotland. You can get the
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address and contact number for the local registrar from the funeral director or in
the telephone book under registration of births, deaths and marriages.
Whilst the police and procurator fiscal are investigating the death you can make
contact with the funeral director of your choice and discuss provisional plans for
the funeral. You cannot formally set the date etc until the person’s body has been
released by the procurator fiscal. All funeral directors are aware of the procedures
and usually have links with the procurator fiscal to make sure that when the
deceased person’s body is released you are updated straight away.
SUPPORT AND HELP
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FASS (FAMILY ADDICTION SUPPORT SERVICE)
123 West Street
Glasgow
G5 8BA
0141 420 2050
info@fassglasgow.org
FASS is a confidential support service open to families within Glasgow that have
been affected by or are concerned about someone’s alcohol or drug use. There are 2
bereavement support groups that run weekly from FASS.
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SFAD (SCOTTISH FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUGS)
08080 101 011
Helpline@sfad.org.uk
SFAD supports families across Scotland who are or have been affected by drugs or
alcohol.
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CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE
Helpline: 0844 477 9400
Email: helpline@cruse.org.uk
CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE offers support after the death of someone close.
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