Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record

[Nearly Sane]

Dreadful figures.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55184961

[Anchorman]

Dreadful figures.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55184961

   



I suspect much of these hellish stats are a lewgacy of the despair caused by the hiatus in the late '80s and early '90s.
My area is a hotspot for drugs misuse; obtaining the stuff is very simple, and the queue  outside ther pharmacy as the methadone is doled out is pathetic in the extreme.
The council have thrown in health workers, counsellors, rehab workers, a rehab facility, to little effect.
The generation of addicts who first got started in the first phase' are dying off at a distressing rate, but the obvious number of middle aged and young folk who roam the streets aimlessly is a constant reminder of decades of failure.

[Nearly Sane]

I think it's difficult to just attribute most of it to what happened 30 years ago. Given the increases in the last 5 years and the outlier numbers against the rest of the UK and Europe, there has to be some question of the Scottish govts actions. I know that some efforts in terms of drugs safe rooms have been blocked by WM, but that's not putting Scotland out of line.

[Anchorman]

I think it's difficult to just attribute most of it to what happened 30 years ago. Given the increases in the last 5 years and the outlier numbers against the rest of the UK and Europe, there has to be some question of the Scottish govts actions. I know that some efforts in terms of drugs safe rooms have been blocked by WM, but that's not putting Scotland out of line.

   



I'd contest that.
We noticed the first spike of heroin injectors around 1992, NS.
A feww of them overdosed in the intervening years, bnut now, many in their mid fifties are experiencing health issues directly related to the addiction.
Worse than that, they have passed on that addiction to the next generation - not through genetics, but emulation.
Combine that with endemic poverty, underachieving, and you have the perfect conditions for the addiction to spread.
Add the fact that the original aim of the methadone  programme was to first wean them off heroin, then, by gradually decreasing the dosage, methadone.
Trouble is, the methadone dosage remained the same, and addicts, whilst taking the drug, sought their highs elsewhere, gaining further addictions as a consequence.

[Nearly Sane]

   



I'd contest that.
We noticed the first spike of heroin injectors around 1992, NS.
A feww of them overdosed in the intervening years, bnut now, many in their mid fifties are experiencing health issues directly related to the addiction.
Worse than that, they have passed on that addiction to the next generation - not through genetics, but emulation.
Combine that with endemic poverty, underachieving, and you have the perfect conditions for the addiction to spread.
Add the fact that the original aim of the methadone  programme was to first wean them off heroin, then, by gradually decreasing the dosage, methadone.
Trouble is, the methadone dosage remained the same, and addicts, whilst taking the drug, sought their highs elsewhere, gaining further addictions as a consequence.

The numbers are increasing exponentially and are three times those in Wales and more than twice as high as anywhere in Europe. If the Scottish govt has little responsibility in this, then it has little worth.

[jeremyp]

   
I'd contest that.
We noticed the first spike of heroin injectors around 1992, NS.
A feww of them overdosed in the intervening years, bnut now, many in their mid fifties are experiencing health issues directly related to the addiction.
Worse than that, they have passed on that addiction to the next generation - not through genetics, but emulation.
Combine that with endemic poverty, underachieving, and you have the perfect conditions for the addiction to spread.
Add the fact that the original aim of the methadone  programme was to first wean them off heroin, then, by gradually decreasing the dosage, methadone.
Trouble is, the methadone dosage remained the same, and addicts, whilst taking the drug, sought their highs elsewhere, gaining further addictions as a consequence.

Scotland has had devolved government for 21 years and has full jurisdiction over all the areas you have mentioned. At some point, you've got to stop blaming your demons from the past and start holding the people who run your country now to account.

[Nearly Sane]

Scotland has had devolved government for 21 years and has full jurisdiction over all the areas you have mentioned. At some point, you've got to stop blaming your demons from the past and start holding the people who run your country now to account.

While I agree with the sentiment the Scottish govt does not have full jurisdiction in the area of drug policy. All drugs misuse legislation is reserved to WM.

[Anchorman]

Scotland needs full powers over drugs, their categorisation, the methods we choose to rehabilitate - e.g. safe injecting rooms, etc.

[jeremyp]

While I agree with the sentiment the Scottish govt does not have full jurisdiction in the area of drug policy. All drugs misuse legislation is reserved to WM.

Thanks for the correction. I don't think it substantially alters the point though.

[jeremyp]

Scotland needs full powers over drugs, their categorisation, the methods we choose to rehabilitate - e.g. safe injecting rooms, etc.

But that's not why Scotland's problem is three and a half times worse than the rest of the UK. After all, England and Wales are operating under the same legislation. There's clearly something wrong in Scotland but blaming it on a government that has been gone for 30 years isn't going to help you find out what it is.

[Nearly Sane]

Thanks for the correction. I don't think it substantially alters the point though.

It's difficult. There have been a number of ideas about how to deal with the issue that the UK govt have rejected, see link below. Given that, it's not entirely clear what can be done about the issue by the Scottish govt, though they did cut money to drugs services, that also happened elsewhere.

I think the Scottish govt has to be both more aggressive on this in demanding the ability to take action with greater devolution, and more openly taking responsibility for the cuts.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48921696

[Nearly Sane]

Sturgeon apologises but it's really difficult to see any quick solutions here, and it's not clear that any of the parties have much idea.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55347091

[Nearly Sane]

And a Public Health Minister goes. The idea of having a soevific minister for Drug Abuse is good but it's only window dressing at this stage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55368574