Good news for Scotland (and the rest of us)..

[Dirk Diggler]

So basically as long as you are ok screw all the alcoholics and drug addicts and the lives they ruin?

Genuine Lol at that - you're now pushing altruistic sentiment towards the downtrodden in a society you don't even live in - desperate and disingenuous.

Face it, you vociferously despise a fictitious character created by the media, and you indulge it like a fetish.

 

[n111ck]

How embarrassing for you... You answer the 1 question that you feel will be advantageous to your arguments but skirt around or downright avoid the others.

lol the answer to question 1 is well known on here hence my banning from SC - hint I'm no leftie

my answer to question 3 demonstrates some pretty good things for us in England but not so much for you in Scotland lol

 

[VincentHanna]

Lol on question 1

question 2:

DRUGS:

Drugs-related deaths have more than doubled during Ms Sturgeon’s time in office, with the numbers hitting record highs for seven years in a row.

During that time the country has become a world narcotics hotspot, with addiction claiming the most victims there per head of the population.

In 2014, the year she took over, 614 people died from overdoses. In 2020, the number hit an all-time high of 1,339, falling slightly to 1,330 a year later.

Drug poisonings in England and Wales​

The rate of drug poisonings continues to increase​

4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2020; the highest number since records began in 1993, and 3.8% higher than in 2019 (4,393 registered deaths).

Rates of drug-related poisoning were 60.9% higher in 2020 (79.5 deaths per million) than they were in 2010 (49.4 per million). The rate has increased every year since 2012; the increase from 2019 was not statistically significant.


Who have you voted for since 2012?

 

[n111ck]

I see he's quoting the daily torygraph again!

You've basically said all media in the UK is tory controlled so I'm assuming the only sites that would be acceptable would be nats propaganda?

 

[katie279]

Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong. Rousseau

Come on guys, less of the childish nicknames, slurs and bigotry (ie everyone who disagrees is a Tory snob, the Torygraph etc etc) - I know you're spouting a lot of what Sturgeon has rammed down your throats for years, but as someone living in Scotland - I assure you, it's fine to have a balanced opinion based on facts!

This is one of the bad features of Sturgeon - Salmond's approach was based on 'admittedly flawed' economic positioning, Sturgeon's was based on stoking hatred/separation/chips on shoulders etc. Not a good look for any grown adult...

 

[chrismscotland]

You've basically said all media in the UK is tory controlled so I'm assuming the only sites that would be acceptable would be nats propaganda?

Its maybe not Tory controlled but aside from maybe a couple of Scottish Publications its certainly all Unionist controlled and led.

 

[chrismscotland]

Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong. Rousseau

Come on guys, less of the childish nicknames, slurs and bigotry (ie everyone who disagrees is a Tory snob, the Torygraph etc etc) - I know you're spouting a lot of what Sturgeon has rammed down your throats for years, but as someone living in Scotland - I assure you, it's fine to have a balanced opinion based on facts!

This is one of the bad features of Sturgeon - Salmond's approach was based on 'admittedly flawed' economic positioning, Sturgeon's was based on stoking hatred/separation/chips on shoulders etc. Not a good look for any grown adult...

I agree with you, but folk simply quoting the Telegraph isn't exactly balanced

 

[n111ck]

Drug poisonings in England and Wales​

The rate of drug poisonings continues to increase​

4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2020; the highest number since records began in 1993, and 3.8% higher than in 2019 (4,393 registered deaths).

Rates of drug-related poisoning were 60.9% higher in 2020 (79.5 deaths per million) than they were in 2010 (49.4 per million). The rate has increased every year since 2012; the increase from 2019 was not statistically significant.


Who have you voted for since 2012?

Unless you can demonstrate that the level in Scotland is lower (unlikely given the well known drug problem) then your post is pointless.

 

[n111ck]

I agree with you, but folk simply quoting the Telegraph isn't exactly balanced

Put aside the source - are you saying the facts in the article are incorrect? If so provide evidence.

 

[katie279]

I agree with you, but folk simply quoting the Telegraph isn't exactly balanced

No absolutely, but taking an adult approach of evaluating the sources they're pulling from is perfectly reasonable and any credible analyst does it every day of the week.

Resorting to bigoted responses, really doesn't help progress any cause!

 

[Devilman]

Unless you can demonstrate that the level in Scotland is lower (unlikely given the well known drug problem) then your post is pointless.

You made the first claims RE: Drugs. Unless you can demonstrate that the level in Scotland is higher (who knows, without looking at the numbers) then your post is also useless.

 

[n111ck]

You made the first claims RE: Drugs. Unless you can demonstrate that the level in Scotland is higher (who knows, without looking at the numbers) then your post is also useless.

Haha my quote clearly says 'During that time the country has become a world narcotics hotspot, with addiction claiming the most victims there per head of the population' what more do you want??

 

[Devilman]

Haha my quote clearly says 'During that time the country has become a world narcotics hotspot, with addiction claiming the most victims there per head of the population' what more do you want??

Actual statistical evidence?

Such as @VincentHanna posted to provide an example of how drug problems have also been increasing significantly within England and Wales.

You're initial post made claim to the notion that you were "glad you lived in England" so you didn't have "be affected by the above".

The data provided by @VincentHanna shows that you are very much still affected by the drug problem, even if you don't realize it or refuse to see it.

Can you provide the equal statistical evidence you must have read - in this case, drug poisonings within Scotland for comparison , or are you just going off headlines and gut feelings?

 

[n111ck]

Actual statistical evidence?

Such as @VincentHanna posted to provide an example of how drug problems have also been increasing significantly within England and Wales.

You're initial post made claim to the notion that you were "glad you lived in England" so you didn't have "be affected by the above".

The data provided by @VincentHanna shows that you are very much still affected by the drug problem, even if you don't realize it or refuse to see it.

Can you provide the equal statistical evidence you must have read - in this case, drug poisonings within Scotland for comparison , or are you just going off headlines and gut feelings?

Explaining the Differences in Opioid Overdose Deaths between Scotland and England/Wales: Implications for European Opioid Policies - PMC

Between 2009 and 2018, the number of opioid-related deaths (ORDs) in Scotland showed a dramatic increase, whereas in England and Wales, a much lower increase in ORD was seen. This regional difference is remarkable, and the situation in Scotland is ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[katie279]

I'm surprised we're even debating this - even the Scottish Government acknowledges this:
The most recent estimates of drug prevalence from Public Health Scotland (formerly ISD Scotland)[4] estimated that the number of individuals with problem drug use (routine/prolonged use of illicit opiates and/or benzodiazepines) in Scotland during 2015/16, aged 15-64 years old, was 57,300 (95% CI = 55,800 – 58,900). Expressed as a percentage of the population, the rate of problem drug use in 2015/16 was 1.62% (95% CI = 1.58% – 1.67%). While there are methodological and definitional differences data suggests that Scotland has a far higher rate of problem drug use than England (1.62% compared with 0.74%) and other European countries.

The question now is whether you can accept this evidence or whether your ideology reigns over reality....

 

[n111ck]

Dont really see the parallel between drug poisonings and levels of drug addiction either.

People being poisoned by drugs is a problem for them but large numbers of drug addicts is a problem for everyone.

 

[VincentHanna]

I'm surprised we're even debating this - even the Scottish Government acknowledges this:
The most recent estimates of drug prevalence from Public Health Scotland (formerly ISD Scotland)[4] estimated that the number of individuals with problem drug use (routine/prolonged use of illicit opiates and/or benzodiazepines) in Scotland during 2015/16, aged 15-64 years old, was 57,300 (95% CI = 55,800 – 58,900). Expressed as a percentage of the population, the rate of problem drug use in 2015/16 was 1.62% (95% CI = 1.58% – 1.67%). While there are methodological and definitional differences data suggests that Scotland has a far higher rate of problem drug use than England (1.62% compared with 0.74%) and other European countries.

The question now is whether you can accept this evidence or whether your ideology reigns over reality....

The point wasn't ideological.

An argument was presented that Nicola Sturgeon, who he hates (see thread for evidence) presided over a big increase in drug use.

Yet the tories, who presumably he voted for for the last decade, seeing as he loved Boris (evidence here: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...-strictly-no-referrals.18948056/post-35947949) have also presided over a big increase in drug use.

Which seems hypocritical to me.

 

[chrismscotland]

The drug issue for me is a prime example of how policy and rules don't necessarily work across the entire UK, Drug policy remains a reserved issue dealt with by Westminster and not Holyrood.

There have been a number of initiatives that the Scottish Government have been keen to trial (safe consumption rooms for one) that have been flatly refused by the UK Government.

There is a drug problem in Scotland but given the Scottish Govt aren't allowed to do any of the things they have suggested (with cross party support for many) I'm not sure what else they can do.

 

[Devilman]

It would be interesting to see the data across *all* drug types, not just "routine/prolonged use of illicit opiates and / or benzodiazepines".

I suspect that part of the problem is Scotland (generally) having a bigger problem with poverty and lack of opportunity leads more drug users to crime and / or hard drugs.

How many "functional drug addicts" do we think London has, with all it's coke sniffing bankers / politicians and party animals?

 

[Deleted User 234324]

Explaining the Differences in Opioid Overdose Deaths between Scotland and England/Wales: Implications for European Opioid Policies - PMC

Between 2009 and 2018, the number of opioid-related deaths (ORDs) in Scotland showed a dramatic increase, whereas in England and Wales, a much lower increase in ORD was seen. This regional difference is remarkable, and the situation in Scotland is ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Looks to me like Scotland has a drug issue that's almost double that of England, thats just from glancing through the document.