Drug deaths in Scotland hit record high

[peasy23]

This years figures are due to be announced today and are expected to show a further rise to over 1,000.  Scottish Government public health minister has said that the issue is an "emergency", which seems to be the latest thing that politicians say. The BBC website has an unbelievable story about a woman from Glenrothes who lost her mother, father, brother and two sisters to drugs, either heroin or opiates.  Absolutely awful - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48993861

 

 

Posted this link on the Junkies in Glasgow City centre thread.

 

http://www.sdf.org.uk/warning-issued-over-street-valium-in-glasgow-as-deaths-increase/

 

Some industrial strength Valium and similar drugs have been doing the rounds, there are over 20 deaths in Glasgow alone thought to have been caused by that.

 

 

 

[Scary Bear]

1,187 drug deaths in Scotland last year, an increase of 27% on the previous year.  This is three times the UK rate and higher than any other European Union country.
 

Is there a graph of drug-related deaths against years?

Have drug-related deaths risen sharply since 2010 or is it unrelated to the austerity years?

[Ira Gaines]

1 hour ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Who were you previously?

 

Does it matter?

Your "I'm alright jack" reeks of Tory. I won't lie in that I can be selfish in matters of voting but not once have I ever not cared for others. I hope I never get to your stage of being an ignorant p***k.

[LeeVanTeeth]

35 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Is there a graph of drug-related deaths against years?

Have drug-related deaths risen sharply since 2010 or is it unrelated to the austerity years?

 

I think the minimum price alcohol policy might have to be considered too. I know a few folk myself that have largely moved over to smoking weed instead of drinking bottles of cheapo cider. This is actually a better option in every respect but I would bet some others have moved from cheap booze to more harmful drugs.

[vikingTON]

54 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Is there a graph of drug-related deaths against years?

Have drug-related deaths risen sharply since 2010 or is it unrelated to the austerity years?

 

The Guardian's report has a graph based on the NRS:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/16/scotland-records-huge-rise-in-drug-related-deaths

Quote

According to the latest annual figures, published on Tuesday morning, most of the increase in fatalities was in the over-35 age-group, the so-called “Trainspotting generation” of ageing, long-term users, although there was also a rise in deaths among younger people.

[...]

A range of factors have contributed to the steady rise of drug fatalities in Scotland. Drug counselors and campaigners blame a “perfect storm” of more people using multiple drugs at the same time, including those already being prescribed substitution treatment such as methadone, unpredictably strong prescription drugs flooding the market, and decades-long addicts in already fragile health.

At the beginning of the year, local outreach workers linked an unprecedented rise in the number of deaths of homeless people in Glasgow to illegal versions of prescription tranquilisers.

 

[Tibbermoresaint]

Dead junkies aren't assaulting people or stealing things. A few more deaths among Leith's junkies wouldn't go amiss.

[Bishop Briggs]

1 hour ago, Tibbermoresaint said:

Dead junkies aren't assaulting people or stealing things. A few more deaths among Leith's junkies wouldn't go amiss.

That's the sort of comment that I would expect from an idiotic Brexit Party MEP like Ann Widdecombe.

[Tibbermoresaint]

3 minutes ago, Bishop Briggs said:

That's the sort of comment that I would expect from an idiotic Brexit Party MEP like Ann Widdecombe.

Bless.

[The OP]

14 minutes ago, Bishop Briggs said:

That's the sort of comment that I would expect from an idiotic Brexit Party MEP like Ann Widdecombe.

"If they are going to die" said Scrooge "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". 

[LeeVanTeeth]

12 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Really?

It's a better option in every respect to take illegal drugs which fund organised crime cartels, which haven't been rigorously safety tested or manufactured under a safety-controlled environment? You don't know what manner of shit you are getting  mixed in with those drugs.

Alcohol is strictly controlled and regulated in this country. I reckon that is a better option.

Seriously, do they not teach this basic stuff to kids at school anymore?

Weed is far less addictive than yer rigorously tested in a safety controlled environment Diamond White etc and you wake up the next day feeling fine after smoking a few joints rather than puking yer guts oot.

Not to mention that just about every story about assaults/general trouble in my local paper mentions that the guy up in court had been drinking alcohol. Never once read a similar story about a guy smoking weed and assaulting someone.

So, chill out mate.

[Scary Bear]

Does it matter?
Your "I'm alright jack" reeks of Tory. I won't lie in that I can be selfish in matters of voting but not once have I ever not cared for others. I hope I never get to your stage of being an ignorant p***k.

I don’t think it’s a great situation that so many people turn to drugs to blot out life. I just have other things I care about more.

Tell me, how do you care about these people who’ve taken drugs and died? Do you sit there having a wee think about them and getting sad? Are you neglecting having a wee think about other groups of people that have died and getting sad about them? Do you go out and find drug users and try and help them? How does your care manifest itself?

[Ross.]

50 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Alcohol is strictly controlled and regulated in this country. I reckon that is a better option.

Yet probably does more damage to Scotland than the rest of those illegal drugs put together.

[welshbairn]

50 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Alcohol is strictly controlled and regulated in this country. I reckon that is a better option.

Better option for drugs too.

[101]

4 minutes ago, Ross. said:

Yet probably does more damage to Scotland than the rest of those illegal drugs put together.

Sadly the effects of drug use will be felt well beyond Scotland and cause missery to far more lives than booze.

[BawWatchin]

How does Glasgow compare to Liverpool, or Edinburgh to Manchester?

They're comparing 8.4% of the UK population to 84% of the UK population. Surely a more accurate breakdown would be more comprehensive? But they won't as it would clearly highlight that certain areas of England are every bit as bad.

[TheScarf]

Alcohols not a drug.  It's a drink.

[harry94]

3 minutes ago, BawWatchin said:

How does Glasgow compare to Liverpool, or Edinburgh to Manchester?

They're comparing 8.4% of the UK population to 84% of the UK population. Surely a more accurate breakdown would be more comprehensive? But they won't as it would clearly highlight that certain areas of England are every bit as bad.

You're being very paranoid here, the news has given per capita numbers and it's just a fact that Scotland has the worst drug problem in deaths in comparison to the rest of Europe and then given a more detailed breakdown from the same dataset which looks at regional variation, types of substances and trends over time. I don't know what you're expecting?

[Tibbermoresaint]

3 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

Alcohols not a drug.  It's a drink.

It's addictive.

[BawWatchin]

3 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

So those death rates would be more acceptable if England is the same?

That's your argument?

Seriously?

Of course not. But at the very least it would put some perspective on the british MSM claim that Scotland is the junkie capital of the world.

[BawWatchin]

Just now, Tibbermoresaint said:

It's addictive.

So is Caffeine..... and sex....