[arista]

Shocking Legacy of the SNP


Good Report by the Scottish Reporter
on SkyNewsHD

[Quantum Boy]

Originally Posted by arista

Shocking Legacy of the SNP


Good Report by the Scottish Reporter
on SkyNewsHD

Fentanyl (and street benzos) then COVID (the restrictions) are the main causes of increased deaths, rather than increased use. Is it the government's fault? Maybe, partially but the solutions to these things are not easy... ultimately, austerity has played a huge role in addictions problems and, generationally, the stripping down of medium-sized towns across the whole of the UK, started of course in the late 80's by Thatcher.

The government could do more, certainly (both Edinburgh and London) but the issue is, partly, that the solutions are not known nor obvious.

[Quantum Boy]

Worth noting that the US experiences similar issues in cities that were once manufacturing/industry powerhouses, and has done since Reagan and Thatcher's first-wave Neoliberalism. HUGE issues with an underclass and addiction, that can be traced back to the devastation of the working class in the 80's.

[arista]

[Fentanyl (and street benzos)]


Yes Terrible drug taking
very valid to this sad state of Junkies
dying

[Gusto Brunt]

I've never taken drugs- but I used to drink. But not had any booze for 10 years.

Best decision ever.

I actually get a bigger buzz out of being sober 14/7 than I ever did being drunk.

So sad to hear of those deaths. I do think about people who have addiction issues and wish they'd find a cure for it.

[Gusto Brunt]

24/7

[arista]

[Drug-related deaths in Scotland increase]

[The number of people who died due to
drug misuse in Scotland has increased.
Data from National Records of
Scotland (NRS) showed there were a total
of 1,172 deaths due to
drug misuse in 2023 - a rise of 121 (12%)
on the previous year.
This is the second-lowest number of
drug misuse deaths since 2017,
with 2022 seeing the lowest number (1,051).]

https://news.sky.com/story/drug-rela...rease-13199771

[arista]

[thesheriff443]

This will sound harsh and cruel to some but death is a release to most
Most are like the living dead, alive but with no life

[Quantum Boy]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

This will sound harsh and cruel to some but death is a release to most
Most are like the living dead, alive but with no life

I wouldn't say that's necessarily true, there's a whole subculture in these communities. Now... I can't even imagine what that sort of life is actually like and it's often full of bizarre antics ranging from the hilarious to the horrific... but to say the majority are zombies/not living isn't really true.

It's life Jim, but not as we know it.

[smudgie]

Ok, let’s see now.
So, 2023 was the second lowest in years, 2022 was the very lowest, even with a spike of 121 deaths over 2023 it still remains lower than the years prior to 2022.
As for calling them junkies, these are people that have hit rock bottom.

Also, so many professionals take drugs as well, perhaps some of these are included in the deaths.

[Quantum Boy]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Also, so many professionals take drugs as well, perhaps some of these are included in the deaths.

Oh there will 100% be some middle-class cocaine overdoses in there, probably about 20% of the total will be coke.

The other 80% is almost entirely opiates (heroin) and benzos (when there's a death it's often both).

[Quantum Boy]

Having done a little digging... the increase is actually more-than-entirely down to cocaine use, cocaine deaths have gone up to nearly 40% of the total drugs deaths - opiate and benzo deaths are actually still stable/falling.

Turns out the 12% increase isn't junkies at all... it's yuppies and coke-fuelled middle-class party bros.

I am actually somewhat shocked by the stats.

[MTVN]

Cocaine does seem to have become massively more normalised in the last decade. I'm surprised it would cause a significant number of deaths, presumably a lot of heart attacks and bad batches?

[bots]

it will be all the crap the dealers are cutting the coke with

[Quantum Boy]

Originally Posted by bots

it will be all the crap the dealers are cutting the coke with

Indeed, Glasgow specifically has a major problem with this, tbh without Glasgow the stats in Scotland are not that different to the North of England etc. but they're massively skewed because of the large dealer gangs in Glasgow cutting their drugs, e.g. heroin not actually being Heroin, but Fentanyl cut with [whatever], because it's cheap and 20x more potent than actual heroin. So that means they can cut a small amount with a lot of filler. But one tiny weighing error can easily result in a 2-3x OD of what that person would normally take as heroin.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the cocaine is also cut with all sorts.