Why Is This Happening ?

[Bobbisox1]

https://news.sky.com/story/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland-expected-to-hit-record-levels-for-the-seventh-year-in-a-row-12367604

So very sad

[Peter Pedant]

// Unfortunately, there's nothing new about it. It happens in every major city.//
yeah but no but

1300 deaths per year in bonnie scortland which since it is 10% of England means 13 000 deaths and in 2020 it seemed to be 4500

this corresponds to the journos and hacks saying the english rate is a third.

the big q is why

actually it isnt - with 130 000 deaths from Covid, I thought
why on earth are we discussing this?

[Bobbisox1]

I asked a genuine Qs without political gain, Why in Scotland and not Wales,England or N Ireland ?

[royfromaus]

Anything to say about the OP anne?

[ToraToraTora]

roy: "Gromit, call it what you want, pretend to be outraged but independence is far more important to Nicola than some people dying from drug abuse. " - She doesn't want independence she just want out of the UK due to her pathological hatred of England. Ideally she wants to be dependent on the EUSSR if they'll have her.

[ynnafymmi]

A lot of people up here in Scotland blame the Thatcherite years for the drug epedemic up here.But does anyone remember who voted Thatcher into power?Yes,it was the SNP.Back in 1979 the SNP voted with the Tories against Jim Callaghans Labour Party.The SNP have only themselves to blame for Thatcher.The ScotsNats on this site would prefer you not to know about this event.SNP=Tartan Tories=Thatcher enablers.

[Jackdaw33]

As I have told you before, Ynna, Thatcher would have happened regardless, with or without the SNP's meagre contribution (three votes). All it did was bring forward the date of the general election by four months. Callaghan was already a dead man walking.

[ynnafymmi]

It still shows willing,JD.The SNP,the Thatcher enablers.

[gulliver1]

I am not surprised that the Scots turned to drugs when they realised they helped elect Thatcher. I would have done the same .

[Redhelen72]

In Northern Ireland we have significant deaths from suicide that you don’t see in other countries in the UK, every country has its issues.

[barry1010]

A recent tv documentary stated that there is a significant decrease in alcohol consumption in Scotland because of the price hike due to the minimum price per unit policy.
Is it simply that the boozers have switched to benzos?

[ynnafymmi]

@16.29.Nothing to do with us decent Scots,Gully.The blame lies with the nationalist scum in the SNP.

[ladybirder]

So they weren't taking drugs until Mrs Thatcher was elected then Gulliver? Link please.

[david small]

Imagine a world without recreational drugs. Imagine a world where years ago drug makers and dealers were re-educated by death. What a difference to today’s mess.

[maggiebee]

Well ynnafymmi, it's nice to see you and TTT as a mutual admiration society. Same old, same old - Braveheart and the SNP. Time to change the record methinks.

[ynnafymmi]

Nae chance,Maggie.Nationalists(widely abhorred and hated the world over)seem to be revered up here in poor old benighted Scotland.Perhaps you would be better using your talents to ask Mrs Murrell what her hubbie has done with £600,000 of Scottish peoples money.

[barry1010]

david, there has always been drugs, there always will be drugs. Even in countries that have the death penalty for drug offences, there are drug addicts.

[jno]

whaddaya know - it's exactly the same in England and Wales.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58070848

[bobbinwales]

Worth adding the clarification tho that due to delays the 2020 figures include half of 2019 too. So figures are misleading?

[jno]

even the original story was only "expected to", so I don't know how the whole picture will turn out. It's a great waste of life, but a lot more lives would have been saved by monitoring Covid in care homes, for instance.

(I know this shouldn't be an either/or choice, but the truth is that Covid is taking a lot of the money that would normally go into other health matters. Politicians' eyes are being taken off the ball a lot these days, but I have some sympathy for them.)

[maggiebee]

I think the "drugs problem" in Scotland is a very complex one that won't be solved overnight. Every human being makes choices ever day of their lives - good or bad. Some, unfortunately, don't see it as a problem until it's too late.
I find the age range very scary. "Almost two-thirds of all drug-related deaths were people between ages 35 and 54."
Scots also seem to favour "cocktails" of drugs and alcohol.
I have no answer as to what can be done to break the cycle but will support any initiatives our Government support.