[Cherie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48987047

The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland soared to 1,187 last year, according to official statistics.
The figure is 27% higher than the previous year, and the highest since records began in 1996.
It means there were more drug-related deaths in Scotland last year than the 1,136 alcohol-specific deaths.
And the country's drug death rate is now nearly three times that of the UK as a whole, and is higher than that reported for any other EU country.

[Livia]

Jeez.... that's a grim statistic. I wonder why its so much higher than the rest of the UK.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Livia

Jeez.... that's a grim statistic. I wonder why its so much higher than the rest of the UK.

According to the BBC poverty plays its part

[Kazanne]

I saw this on news earlier, I was surprised at the statistics, such a waste of lives

[Livia]

What's the word from Nicola, I wonder?

[smudgie]

Higher than the USA, unbelievable.

[bitontheslide]

it's been bad for a long time, at least 20 years to my knowledge. So previous attempts at tackling the problem haven't been a roaring success

[arista]

Yes all over Every News
Scotland the worse Deaths of Junkies

[Marsh.]

I'm really not surprised. Sadly.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Livia

Jeez.... that's a grim statistic. I wonder why its so much higher than the rest of the UK.

Historically, Thatcher.

More recently, Fentanyl.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Historically, Thatcher.

More recently, Fentanyl.

So everything was hunky dory pre 1980s. Sweet.

[Wizard.]

Yeah it's pretty sad, not sure why this is. But when I lived in Glasgow the majority of people I knew liked a drink and drugs.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Livia

So everything was hunky dory pre 1980s. Sweet.

It wasn't hunky-dory obviously but yes the opiates crisis is rooted firmly in the 80's. Thatcher's economic war against the north of Britain destroyed towns and suburbs and pushed many of the adults at the time into poverty, depression and alcohol addiction. The biggest proportion of problematic opiate users are those who were children and teenagers at that time - age range of roughly 30 - 55 today. Obviously there are still younger people who develop drug problems, but there was a HUGE upsurge in that "trainspotting generation", and those people are now hitting middle-age after decades of drug abuse and dropping like flies.

That and, like I said, some huge issues in recent years with heroin in Scotland being cut with Fentanyl (I knew of 6 "well known locals" who died of overdose in the last couple of years, in a smallish town, and every time it involved fentanyl).

There's also recently been an unfortunate trend of people necking fistfuls of street benzos whilst shooting up and, unsurprisingly, ending up dead or unresponsive.

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Livia

Jeez.... that's a grim statistic. I wonder why its so much higher than the rest of the UK.

Better H

[Livia]

Originally Posted by parmnion

Better H

Hey, at least Scotland are winning something! x

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Livia

Hey, at least Scotland are winning something! x

We are also darts world cup champions and snooker world cup champions...only one if them is as boring as cricket.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by parmnion

We are also darts world cup champions

Throwing needles. Can't think where they got the practice in for that.

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Throwing needles. Can't think where they got the practice in for that.

Yep..jockey Wilson has a lot to answer for in the "late 70s early 80s"

[Kizzy]

It is a grim statistic, I wonder if Scotland has more areas of socioeconomic depravation than the rest of the UK?
I've heard about the rise of fentanyl, really gruesome stuff, have cuts to alcohol and drug programmes affected these stats, everywhere boroughs are cutting funding to direct to vital services as central govt cuts in budgets bite. This could just be the fallout from that?

[parmnion]

It could be down to the influx of immigrants they have had over the past few years...


we have had the Italian chip shop shop owners of the 60s and 70s..making us all obese..

Then the Pakistani corner shops of the 80s and 90s...wheezing us into the milleniam and the immigration turmoil it brought us.


We stood proud though, and opened our doors to all the afghans....who are now helping to kill our junkies.