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Professor John Robertson OBA
In the Daily Record (Sunday Mail?) today, the above and:
Sir Ian McCartney was serving as a Cabinet Office minister overseeing drugs policy in Tony Blair’s government when his son Hugh, 23, was found dead in a Glasgow flat in 1999 after taking heroin.
“It has been a huge political failure because from day one of the SNP government, despite the work that had been done previously, by [former Labour first minister] Jack McConnell, Gordon Brown and myself, there was a decision taken that all things will be done by them and only them.
Drug deaths are largely among those who became addicted under Thatcher, Blair and Brown
From Public Health Scotland’s National drug related death database (Scotland) Analysis of Deaths Registered in 2019 and 2020, published 8 October 2024, it’s clear that Scotland’s drug deaths, 95% over 25 years of age and 75% over 35 years, are to a very large extent a legacy of the Labour and Tory governments that ruled the UK and devolved Scotland for decades before the SNP came into power, with limited powers over drug law (legalisation) or treatment (eg safe injection rooms), in 2007. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-related-death-database-scotland/the-national-drug-related-deaths-database-scotland-report-analysis-of-deaths-registered-in-2019-and-2020/
Treatment for these users has been, for years, top notch, with above the 90% target seen within three weeks or less:
During the quarter ending 31 March 2025:
10,233 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services: 5,012 (49.0%) were for problematic use of alcohol, 3,845 (37.6%) for problematic use of drugs, and 1,376 (13.4%) for co-dependency (problematic use of both alcohol and drugs).
6,863 referrals to community-based services started treatment. Of these, 6,377 (92.9%) involved a wait of three weeks or less.
Nationally, the Standard was met for referrals to community-based services across all substances: drugs (96.1%), co-dependency (93.9%) and alcohol (90.5%).
Researchers prove that Scotland’s drug death surge was the simple and tragic consequence of the UK Conservative Government’s brutal austerity strategy from 2012 to 2019
Drug deaths have always been more prevalent in poorer communities. In Scotland, half of all drug deaths are from among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods.1
According to research recently published by David Walsh and Gerry McCartney2, of Glasgow University, drug deaths amongst the most deprived communities in Scotland had begun to climb from around 2003 to 2009, under New Labour and then again, but far more dramatically, from around 2012 to 2019 under the Conservative Government.
Amongst the least deprived, drug deaths were largely unaffected by austerity policies such as, of course, reduced or withdrawn benefits but among the most deprived 20%, already making up 50% of all drug deaths, the consequences were extreme and horrific, with the death rate more than doubling, sickeningly, from around 45 per 100k to more than 100 per 100k, in only 8 years, between 2012 and 2019. In crude terms, just for this group (20% of the population) this meant a horrifying increase from around 2 450 deaths per year to 5 400 per year.
Walsh & McCartney put it bluntly and heartbreakingly:
Within a year or two of the introduction of austerity, people sought a way out. They looked for oblivion.
Very simply this means that the level of drug deaths in Scotland is almost entirely a consequence of the economic policies of the Conservative Government in the UK, cutting and withdrawing benefits from those most vulnerable – addicts.
Some will, of course, try to blame the Scottish Government for inadequate service provision for addicts but this does not survive a collision with the facts. NHS Scotland has historically and consistently treated between 90% and 95% of around 20 000 referrals per year for drug and drug/alcohol co-dependency.3 The target is 90%. This success is, of course, never reported by media.
Sources:
- https://publichealthscotland.scot/news/2024/october/analysis-reveals-families-and-communities-impacted-by-drug-related-deaths-in-scotland/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20drug%20related%20deaths,drug%20related%20death%20in%202020.
- Walsh, D. and McCartney, G. (2024) Social Murder? Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK, Policy Press, Bristol
- https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times-1-april-2024-to-30-june-2024/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
‘Blame the SNP’ is the drug of choice of failed Labour politicians , propaganda outlets owned by anti-Scottish billionaires and most of the Westminster cabal .
These b*stards only see Scotland as an asset to be stripped and don’t give a f*ck for its people , especially addicts who are the ‘collateral damage ‘ of decades of failed UK Government policies which were never designed to help the ”People” but simply to enrich the already filthy Rich !
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There is a drugs problem across the UK. There are marked national and regional disparities in rates of drug-related mortality. The big regional differences and rises in the rates of drug-related deaths in England demonstrates that Westminster policies have long been ineffectual. The political and media focus on the undoubted problem in Scotland without the context of the issues playing out UK-wide is IMHO motivated by partisan politics linked to a Unionist agenda.
From the Association of Directors of Public Health (October 24, 2024): ‘.. the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that there were 5,448 deaths related to the use of drugs in England and Wales in 2023; the highest level of drug-related deaths on record and an 11% increase in drug-related deaths compared to 2022. Responding to the report we, together with the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) have called for urgent action to reverse the worrying rise in numbers of people dying as a result of drug use.’ (my emphasis)
The article refers to Scotland’s statistics and then states. ‘These reports show clearly that the UK is in the midst of a drugs crisis, and that current responses to preventing drug-related harms are not sufficient.
‘ADPH and FPH are calling for higher and more sustained levels of public health funding to pay for drug and alcohol services, which are evidenced to reduce the risk of drug-related deaths and improve the health of people who use drugs. These services must be inclusive, non-judgemental and tailored to marginalised populations of people who use drugs including women, minoritised ethnic communities, and LGBTQ+ populations.’
Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, FPH President is quoted: “For a growing public health crisis of this magnitude we need a proportionately urgent response. To reverse these spiralling trends and save lives, Government must take bold, innovative, and evidence-led action to protect health for populations across the UK.’
There is a call for more safe injecting facilities (overdose prevention centres); more and better drug checking services, diamorphine assisted therapy, high tolerance housing for people experiencing homelessness, and lower threshold prescribing of medications for drug dependence. On the first, we are well aware of Westminster’s longstanding opposition.
Another source: ‘Drug-related deaths have risen by record numbers in England and Wales – latest data’ – from Ian Hamilton (Honorary Fellow, Department of Health Sciences, University of York) and Harry Sumnall (Professor in Substance Use, Liverpool John Moores University) writing in The Conversation, October 23, 2024:
‘Deaths from drug use in England and Wales have risen by 11%, according to the latest annual data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2023, there were 5,448 fatalities (93 deaths per million people) – the highest number of drug-related deaths since records began in 1993.
‘Over half these deaths involved opiates, such as heroin and morphine. The highest rate of deaths from opiate misuse was among those aged between 40 and 49 years old.’
And: ‘But while these drugs remain of serious concern, and related deaths may be being under-counted, heroin remains the opiate associated with most harm.’
Westminster government policies to address the scurge of drug addition and increasing numbers of deaths, fails parts of the country much more than others: ‘There are also stark regional differences in drug-related deaths. For example, the north-east of England continues to have much higher rates of deaths from drug misuse, compared with other parts of the country.
‘There were 174.3 drug-related deaths per million people in the north-east, compared with 58.1 drug-related deaths per million people in London. The rate of drug-poisoning deaths reported in the north-east were the highest they have been for the past 11 years. In the main, these deaths will have been due to an instant fatal overdose, while other deaths will have been cumulative.
‘The stark regional differences in all drug-related deaths align with socioeconomic factors, such as poverty and deprivation. There’s a strong link between socioeconomic deprivation and problematic drug use.’
The article closes with this: ‘The Labour government has made it clear that it will be difficult to ensure public services receive all the resources they need. Yet every year, we are seeing record levels of drug-related deaths across the UK.’
The reference to Labour links to an article by the Institute for Government (July 22, 2024) – ‘Labour is right to point out how dire its inheritance on public services is. At the same time, the spending plans laid out in its manifesto are the tightest since 2015 and imply real-terms cuts to some of the already worst-performing services. The hard truth for Labour is that sticking to the status quo means most services are likely to be performing worse at the next election in 2028/29 than at the last election in 2019.’
The Conversation article on drug deaths in England adds: ‘It’s clear that what is currently being done is not enough. More money needs to be invested in specialist drug treatment services, both to save lives and improve the quality of life for all those who face problems with drugs. This will provide economic savings in the long term, and reduce the suffering that too many families experience.’
But let’s keep the public in Scotland in ignorance of the wider UK’s drug crisis and let’s let the government of England – which also influences drug-related policies and services resourcing in Scotland – off the hook. After all SNPbad messages to sustain the ‘precious Union’ are what really matters!
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Tony Blair 24 hour drinking policy. Afghanistan poppy production. The Taliban stopped the poppy production. Iraq War. UK, Iraq, US and Afghanistan the highest drug problems in the world.
The SNP Gov funding proper rehab facilities £250Million a year. New rehab facilities are opening throughout Scotland. Grampian (unionist) Health Board refused primary care for alcohol and drug misuse. It has to be paid for privately.
SNP Gov MUP policy has reduced consumption and saved lives. Young people are consuming less alcohol. Consumption in Scotland has gone down. Less deaths.
Statistics and categories are produced differently. Putting Scotland total up when compared.
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Devolution 2000
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We are in the run up to the 2026 elections to the Scottish Parliament and opinion polls have, for some time indicated that the SNP will be the largest part and that the Greens will win enough seats to have a pro-independence majority. Labour seems unlikely to be the second party at Holyrood. The Scottish Tories, although losing some support to Reform, could remain the second party. Labour, too, is losing votes to Reform, so they might only end up with a similar number of seats as Reform. The Lib Dems will, probably, retain their current MSPs, but could edge one or two in the north east or elsewhere from the Tories.
So, what we have is “Scottish’ Labour and their media chums re-running the 2014 Project Fear playbook. Labour will run a negative campaign.
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