In some quick damage control on their website but, no doubt, less sickening than the TV News broadcasts will be today, BBC Scotland is quick to remind us:
However, Scotland continues to have the worst drug death rate in the UK and the rest of Europe.
Despite the fall in drug misuse deaths, they are still more than three times as common as they were two decades ago.
The rate of drug poisoning deaths in Scotland was 2.7 times as high as the UK average in 2021, the most recent year that data is available for the UK as a whole.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66572155
Not a word of encouragement but straight into the reminders that it’s still worse than elsewhere – I thought they didn’t like ‘whataboutery?’ Just on this?
Not a second of reflection on how this all began under Conservative and Labour governments.
Not a word on how the UK Government has obstructed attempts to solve this problem.
Not a word on the SNP policies that have begun to turn this round.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
One thing is always apparent on Scottish news and that is good news always, without exception, ends with a BUT then they slip in some negative statistics.
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Can we be sure that all nations use the same methodology in determining what is a drug-related death?
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I contacted the Scottish statistical service about this a few years back and got a prompt, courteous and very helpful response. The methodology used in Scotland meets the international standards for reporting and recording and the figures for Scotland are rigorous and accurate. There is, indeed, a significant issue in Scotland. However, the Scottish Government is addressing the matter. Naxolone has been a great help, as are improved referral and support services. However, we need full powers devolved which neither the current Westminster government nor any incoming Labour government are likely to do.
However, it is commendable that the data are sound. Statistical data, used properly as is being done in Scotland is essential for informing and evaluating practice. However, for the media and the opposition it is something to be ‘cherrypicked’ for a particular adverse datum to be presented out of context and then BLAME assigned. BLAME is an end in itself as far as the opposition and media are concerned.
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Fine as far as Scotland’s data is concerned.
My query was about all (European) nations.
Are apples being compared with apples?
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A very illuminating read.
https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/blog/comparability-of-drug-related-death-statistics-across-the-united-kingdom/
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Fascinating
Thanks
Will return to this later
John
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Apples and pears then.
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This is a very illuminating read.
https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/blog/comparability-of-drug-related-death-statistics-across-the-united-kingdom/
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It sure is!
“In England and Wales, suspected drug-related deaths are referred to the local coroner’s service, who determine the cause of death. The ONS does not have access to post-mortem reports or toxicology results, so the accuracy of figures depends on the information provided by the coroner on the death certificate. The information on these certificates can often be incomplete, which means that figures for drug misuse are underestimates.”
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Is it ok to share this on Facebook?
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Of course. Share, share, share. It’s the way we win in the long run like water on stone.
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‘In most cases a death cannot be called a drug misuse death when no information on the specific substances is known or provided. Because of this, figures for drug misuse are underestimates. But the figure for England and Wales underestimates the number by a far greater extent. Approximately a thousand death certificates were missing information about specific substances in 2021 alone.’
I’ll do something on this later unless one of you wish to?
John
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