Data is from 2019 so fair bit out of date, latest for Scotland is 27.7 which is quite a bit above what the map has and would be a wild increase. Likely some normalising of the counting methodology to make it comparable across countries.
This is actually a great example of why we need independence. Something has to change in a pretty fundamental way with the drugs laws but Holyrood lacks the power to do anything. Legalisation and/or decriminalisation are the way forward but Westminster will never do that. Look at Portugals numbers – they have decriminalised. It’s a health problem not a legal one. We have to accept that providing a safe and secure source of heroin for example would cut these numbers right down. Needle exchanges and consumption rooms can help but it’s clearly not enough.
Is it because of the weather? I’m only half joking. The countries doing the worst generally speaking have worse weather.
Scotlands problem is that it glorifies and romanticises substance abuse, defends and justifies the behaviour of addicts so they dont see consequences for their actions and doesnt effectively punish abusers when under the influence in public spaces. The problem would literally be solved if being under the influence in public returned to an imprisonable offence, and members of the public would make junkies face consequences. Taking drugs is a choice, and these individuals choose to ruin everything for their communities. Coddling hasnt worked, its time to trial something new.
Thing is the way Scotland collects the data is different from England. Scotland has all drug deaths counted in the number but England has only people who are registered rug addicts on a course of help as registered as a drug death.
This is from 2019
I always find this is one of those bubble moments for me. I’ve never known anyone to overdose or have it be brought up to me that someone I know, knows someone who has overdosed. I went to a working class school and my friend group has always been socially mixed.
Yet we’re the worst in Europe. So it makes me wonder it must be incredibly rare in other countries to meet someone whos died due to drugs.
If you were including organ failure die to a lifetime of drugs, including alcohol, I think that’d be a different story. We almost all know someones whos got or is close to have liver disease.
Obviously the solution is more war on drugs as that works /s
Portugal decriminalised. But it doesn’t work 🤦
Is it because Scotland is far away from the source of drug importation, and by the time the drugs get to Scotland, they’ve been cut so much that they’re of low and inconsistent quality?
Living in Scotland is so depressing so no wonder the drug deaths are high. The country has no vision as the UK government don’t care about us. Our government has no control over our futures. We sit listening to a media that tells us over and over that the government we elected are awful, but old Nige there is a real working class dude. Utterly rank. I stupidly waited for the Indy ref thinking we’d choose to run our own country, instead of moving back to a country that runs its own affairs. I intend to move there soon when my son finishes school hopefully before we have NF as our pm. The drug deaths will go up when there’s no Scottish government, but then so will every other bad statistic. Scotland needs hope and positive action. Could be the best country in the world but half the population believes we can only live on handouts and wants to keep it that way.
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Number 2 in Europe? We’re slipping.
Data is from 2019 so fair bit out of date, latest for Scotland is 27.7 which is quite a bit above what the map has and would be a wild increase. Likely some normalising of the counting methodology to make it comparable across countries.
This is actually a great example of why we need independence. Something has to change in a pretty fundamental way with the drugs laws but Holyrood lacks the power to do anything. Legalisation and/or decriminalisation are the way forward but Westminster will never do that. Look at Portugals numbers – they have decriminalised. It’s a health problem not a legal one. We have to accept that providing a safe and secure source of heroin for example would cut these numbers right down. Needle exchanges and consumption rooms can help but it’s clearly not enough.
Is it because of the weather? I’m only half joking. The countries doing the worst generally speaking have worse weather.
https://preview.redd.it/fmb8cchokkye1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65cae7896d85833a501af2f45c57b36059866466
Scotlands problem is that it glorifies and romanticises substance abuse, defends and justifies the behaviour of addicts so they dont see consequences for their actions and doesnt effectively punish abusers when under the influence in public spaces. The problem would literally be solved if being under the influence in public returned to an imprisonable offence, and members of the public would make junkies face consequences. Taking drugs is a choice, and these individuals choose to ruin everything for their communities. Coddling hasnt worked, its time to trial something new.
Thing is the way Scotland collects the data is different from England. Scotland has all drug deaths counted in the number but England has only people who are registered rug addicts on a course of help as registered as a drug death.
This is from 2019
I always find this is one of those bubble moments for me. I’ve never known anyone to overdose or have it be brought up to me that someone I know, knows someone who has overdosed. I went to a working class school and my friend group has always been socially mixed.
Yet we’re the worst in Europe. So it makes me wonder it must be incredibly rare in other countries to meet someone whos died due to drugs.
If you were including organ failure die to a lifetime of drugs, including alcohol, I think that’d be a different story. We almost all know someones whos got or is close to have liver disease.
Obviously the solution is more war on drugs as that works /s
Portugal decriminalised. But it doesn’t work 🤦
Is it because Scotland is far away from the source of drug importation, and by the time the drugs get to Scotland, they’ve been cut so much that they’re of low and inconsistent quality?
Living in Scotland is so depressing so no wonder the drug deaths are high. The country has no vision as the UK government don’t care about us. Our government has no control over our futures. We sit listening to a media that tells us over and over that the government we elected are awful, but old Nige there is a real working class dude. Utterly rank. I stupidly waited for the Indy ref thinking we’d choose to run our own country, instead of moving back to a country that runs its own affairs. I intend to move there soon when my son finishes school hopefully before we have NF as our pm. The drug deaths will go up when there’s no Scottish government, but then so will every other bad statistic. Scotland needs hope and positive action. Could be the best country in the world but half the population believes we can only live on handouts and wants to keep it that way.
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