There were 1 417 alcohol deaths in 2006 in the last year of the Labour/Lib Dem Scottish Government, up dramatically from only 1 144 in 2000.
At the end of the first year of the SNP administration in 2007 the figure had fallen to 1 282 and by 2018 had fallen to 1 020. The pandemic years saw a steep increase in cases across the UK, to 1 245 cases in Scotland in 2021.
Today BBC Scotland is headlining:
Alcohol deaths rise to highest level in 14 years
carefully choosing the 2008 figure and not the last year of Labour’s responsibility (2006) when they were 11% higher than today.
The 2% increase in the last year is not a statistically significant increase.
How are alcohol treatment services performing?
90% of those referred seen in three weeks or less in 2022/2023, hitting the target, and services for alcohol very close to waiting times targets since 2018 when records begin:
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66594469
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Imagine how this ”story” would have been played if the Scottish Government had refused to implement a Minimum Price Policy for alcohol .
BBCScorchedland , The Herald and multiple opposition MSPs would have been outraged at the missed by the SNP to tackle the problem of alcohol abuse .
Heads the SNPBaaaders win , Tails the SNP lose !
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It should be said that the last England figure per pop is much larger
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I wonder what the figures for England & Wales were counted in the same way as Scotland & Northern Ireland?
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/alcoholspecificdeathsintheuk/2021registrations#alcohol-specific-deaths-by-uk-constituent-country
“Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland include deaths of non-residents. However, figures for England and Wales (separately) exclude deaths of non-residents.”
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I meant the rise was larger
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Missed a bit out.
Insert ‘..would be if they..’
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Easy to do, they are coached to argue Black is White or White is Black.
The Dross economy fix is for us to work more hours.
So from last week, the school crossing operator can just work more hours, maybe do a second job at the same time.
Dross has experience of ‘Working’ more hours, two of the jobs at the same moment in time, just that we, the public, don’t see which job he’s actually doing.
See his boss didn’t have any trouble with ATC as he used a helicopter to fly to the water quality reduction news, already we knew about.
All alongside the ULEZ smoke and mirrors policy that johnson started , shapps continued and now sunak plays with.
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@ Millssandra @ 3.08pm
Indeed ….you are right…but also….
Imagine how the ”story” that is currently a major story via flights in and out of the UK at airports would have played out if it were ONLY flights within Scotland that were impacted…
As in the predicted fallout that would have resulted AGAINST the Scottish Government….as in ….
No mitigating circumstances for them
No external forces outwith the government’s control
No scapegoats/Fall guys to excuse our government as being the one that was not in some way totally responsible……
Plus those others who LOVE to highlight that they, the Scottish government , are not doing enough for citizens of their country caught up in any bad situation …..
NOPE…….as unlike the UK Transport minister….our Scottish Transport minister….would have been accused of being one whose finger was NOT on the pulse….. of his job (commonly referred to by others as the ‘Day Job’)…where, they would say that much much more should have been done by both OUR Transport Secretary and OUR government….which would then be THE headline story via the BBC in the NEWS where YOU (supposedly) are…and probably where others are too…..via SAME channel (and others ones too)….
Currently in this chaos unfolding in airports that impacts flights IN and OUT of the UK…the UK Transport minister and UK government are treated as if they are but innocent bystanders and observers whose input currently seems to be ONLY TALKING with those from the Civil aviation authority, Airlines and Airports…..but what ACTION are they taking ….well no worries as HIS job (Day Job) as Transport Secretary is SAFE….as he is from the UK government….so he can just apologise, hold some talks and then….MOVE ON (as others -i.e. people impacted- too are also expected to do so as well)…..I mean who is going to push for and persist in doing so….for HIM to resign via this FIASCO…CHAOS…..and CONTROVERSIAL situation…..
Oh but FERRIES…..
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A WHO Europe article, from 26 July 2023, about the Public Health Scotland report on ‘Minimum Unit Price’ for alcohol.
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/26-07-2023-no-place-for-cheap-alcohol–scotland-s-minimum-unit-pricing-policy-is-protecting-lives
“It is very encouraging to have this robust evidence to support the efficacy of Scotland’s MUP alcohol policy, and to see that several other countries in the WHO European Region are following Scotland in implementing or considering implementation of MUP,” affirmed Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, Regional Adviser for Alcohol, Illicit Drugs and Prison Health at WHO/Europe. “Learning from Scotland’s experience, countries can work towards creating safer communities and improving public health outcomes for all, leaving no one behind due to alcohol harms.””
I wonder what the rate of mortality from alcohol-specific causes per 100,000 people are for EU countries?
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The only one I could find was this one updated on 8 April 2021
https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/health-promotion-knowledge-gateway/alcoholic-beverages-deaths-men_en
deaths/100 000 attributable to alcohol consumption in men in EU Member States in 2019
Belgium 84
Bulgaria 213
Czechia 104
Denmark 85
Germany 119
Estonia 158
Ireland 45
Greece 75
Spain 65
France 94
Croatia 130
Italy 71
Cyprus 44
Latvia 175
Lithuania 161
Luxembourg 66
Hungary 173
Malta 41
Netherlands 59
Austria 87
Poland 133
Portugal 117
Romania 174
Slovenia 97
Slovakia 130
Finland 81
Sweden 54
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This is the figure for Scotland in 2021
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2022/slight-increase-in-alcohol-specific-deaths
“More detailed analysis shows the rate of mortality from alcohol-specific causes was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.”
I am doing this quickly from my phone to provide context with other countries. If the mainstream media in Scotland can say it has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe, it should say where it ranks in Europe for alcohol-related deaths.
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