Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/
STV is presenting this as:
The number of suspected drug deaths in Scotland surged by 10% last year, police believe.
There were 1,197 suspected drug deaths between January and December 2023.
This was 10% (105) more than during the same period of 2022 (1,092).
https://news.stv.tv/scotland/suspected-drug-deaths-surge-by-10-in-scotland
The facts:
First, the figure between January and December 2023 was 297 up only 2 on the same period in 2022, 295. Those which STV use above are the whole-year data.
Second, the figure between January and December 2023 was actually down 3 on the previous comparable quarter.
Third, the annual trend is up on last year only but down significantly on the peak from 2018 to 2021.
Fourth, these data are not based on the actual presence of proscribed substances in the blood, but subjective impressions recorded by police officers. Actual confirmed drug deaths were significantly down [21%] in August 2023:
1,051 people died due to drug misuse in 2022, according to latest statistics published by National Records of Scotland. This is a decrease of 279 [21%] deaths compared with 2021, representing the lowest number of drug misuse deaths since 2017.
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2023/drug-related-deaths-decrease
We must wait until August 2024 to find out what is really happening.
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Who gives a monkey’s about valid statistical inference when a BAAAAD datum can be found?
Alasdair Macdonald.
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Not again. The Police cannot investigate and record properly. Not following Police procedure. To try and put up ‘crime’ rates and get extra overtime. Charge and then investigate. Instead of investigating then charging. Too many innocent people on remand. A Law unto themselves. Instead of a caution for mild misdemeanours. People are scared of them. Especially women who are not criminals. Misogynist, racist and bigoted. Like the Masons.
The Press cannot work out statistics properly. They cannot read a spread sheet or count properly. Setting out to try and deliberately? fool people. Non Dom tax evading owners. Trying to get away with evading taxes. Non residents. All business in the UK should follow UK tax Laws. No exemptions for corrupt foreign million/billionaires. Or tax evasion for favours.
No wonder people are fed up of the unionists giving allegiance to a corrupt and rotten to the core Westminster Gov.
The Scottish Gov has funded proper total abstinence rehab £250million over 5 years. Proper rehabs have opened in the Borders, Dundee and elsewhere. Getting people well. Instead of unionist councils putting people on methadone for years.
Spend millions to save billions. In proper care systems.
Methadone is just as additive as heroin and other drugs. In fact worse outcomes. People who die in Scotland, from drug misuse, are prescribed methadone and then take other substances. The drug of choice is now cocaine and ketamine. Not so fatal. Less addictive but still dangerous. Leading to chaotic lives. Poverty and death.
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OT John, I see the BBC Scotland site has been updated, the disgraced ‘Politics’ sub page appears to have gone… 😲
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Of course no comments about impact of county line invasion from Enlandshire?
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The causes of drug addiction are complex but essentially down to economic deprivation and lack of hope and opportunity.
England’s Tories started this process by destroying industries in areas outside their homelands and then following it up with decades of austerity.
They then compounded their economic attack on working people by reserving drug policy (drug addiction treated as a crime and not a medical condition) to Westminster.
The Scottish government has tried to mitigate these disastrous policies by “illegally” introducing safe consumption rooms but as this is a very recent event,will take time to reveal their efficacy in preventing deaths.
STV are no better than any of the other Anglo state media outlets in this respect and fails to pin the blame where it really belongs.
Of course,that was one of the aims of devolution,to deflect accountability without losing control.
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THE TERM ‘SCOTTISH’
SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BT THIS ENGLISH FRANCHISE
WHO DECIDES WHICH COMPANIES GET A SCOTTISH FRANCHISE
THEN BROADCASTS ENGLISH FOOTBALL
<
div>TO A SMALL BIGOTED GROUP
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According to the provided graph, drug fatalities are down from about 300/month to about 300/month according to police suspicion. Maybe the coroner’s office actually perform autopsies and issue cause of death certificates? A bizzaire, heartless and misguided post revelling in death in order to punt party politics. Revolting, really.
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So not like ambulance chasing Sarwar/baillie/tory/labour then. The unionists don’t like it when they are caught trying to massage figures for their own dodgy agenda. Vote SNP vote for independence let’s all get away from unionist claptrap once and for all……vote for a better future for our kids……..the REAL future of Scotland!!!
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Would the average quarterly figure of 300 be lower if Overdose Prevention Centres were available?
Glasgow plans to have a facility in place in the summer of this year according to this BBC Scotland article, but notice the terminology they use in the headline!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66929385
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I’m willing to bet John that the IP address of the above individual is the same for a string of ‘ shout riot and walk away ‘ posts of late.
He/she is capitalising on the recent hiccup in WP over poster identification to allow this idiot to toss a grenade to wind up regulars – I’d suggest posting the IP address of the muppet concerned, as I’m fairly sure administrators of sites such as TuS will recognise it immediately as on their ‘banned’ list and why.
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