Dundee once again has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Scotland, at double the national average.
The number of people dying following substance abuse, however, tumbled by 41%, from 39 in 2012 to 23 over the last calendar year.
The rate of deaths per 1,000 of population was 0.2 in Dundee, 0.08 in Angus, 0.1 in Fife, 0.03 in Perth and Kinross and 0.08 in Stirling. The Scottish average was 0.1.
National Records of Scotland figures show the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland decreased by 9% last year, with the number of victims under 25 the lowest since records began.
Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: “The hope is that increases in previous years have now come to end and numbers are now levelling off.”
Despite the overall fall, the number of people dying after taking so-called legal highs rocketed by 140% from 47 to 113.
There were also 60 deaths where new psychoactive substances (NPS) were implicated, compared with 32 in 2012. Phenazepam was most frequently found to be present in these deaths.
Ms Cunningham stressed that being legal does not make a drug safe.
She said: “Since 2007/8, we have invested record funding of over £224 million in treatment and support services, reinforcing our commitment to our world-leading drugs strategy Road to Recovery.
“This Government is also committed to doing everything we can to restrict access to new psychoactive substances, or so called legal highs, and to educate people about their dangers.”
The figures showed that just over nine in 10 deaths were of people who had taken more than one drug, and perhaps alcohol.
Carole Kelly, chief executive of drug information charity Crew 2000, added: “NPS may be cheaper than known illegal drugs and we are aware of people using them across different age ranges and social groups.”