Professor John Robertson OBA, former opioid painkiller addict and ‘steady drinker‘ to this day

From Public Health Scotland today:

In Phase One of this investigation PHS conducted internal exploratory analysis to validate and describe changes in the numbers and characteristics of people accessing Tier 3 and 4 services between 2011/12 and 2021/22, using data from the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) and its predecessor, the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times (DATWT) database.

In Phase Two of this investigation, Public Health Scotland presents a national-level examination of the same data sources. This quantitative analysis presents national data shared with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) prior to stakeholder engagement sessions.

In Phase Three, Public Health Scotland engaged with a range of key stakeholders using qualitative methods to explore stakeholder views on the local factors which might have directly or indirectly contributed to the trends observed locally.

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/understanding-the-reasons-behind-an-apparent-reduction-in-the-number-of-people-accessing-specialist-alcohol-and-drugs-treatment-in-scotland/

Readers may know that opposition parties and MSM plus some activists, attack the SNP Government on an almost daily basis for lack of treatment and, in rebuttal, TuS regularly posts the target-bursting performance of NHS Scotland in treating 90% plus of referred cases within three weeks, year after year. See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=drug+and+alcohol+treatment

If they had bothered to access the data showing a fall from more than 11 000 cases referred per quarter in 2011/2012 to just over 5 000 this year, I feel sure they’d have used that to further question the success. We must, however, assume that staff have been redeployed as demand plummeted.

We also point to the plummeting demand on hospital admissions. See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/03/04/drug-related-hospital-admissions-plummet-for-third-year-in-a-row-after-scottish-governments-world-first-opioid-overdose-reversal-naloxone-initiative-but-are-not-being-reported-by-media/

The above report offers 10 reasons for the above reduction but all find the possibility of fault within the system and in political leadership of that system, and there is no suggestion whatsoever of a simple possibility that occurred to me – the years of success in treating alcohol and drugs dependents quickly has simply reduced the number requiring that treatment and that other initiatives have reduced consumption.

As a recovering sociologist I’m familiar with the notion of vested interests even among caring professionals. Falling referrals cannot mean we are any less needed. They are still there but for some reason now not getting to us.

Is there any evidence for this. From an AI search:

Yes, levels of alcohol consumption in Scotland have fallen since 2011. This decline is evident across multiple indicators from official sources like the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS), Public Health Scotland (PHS), and retail sales data. Key trends include:

• Alcohol ConsumptionYes, levels of alcohol consumption in Scotland have fallen since 2011. This decline is evident across multiple indicators from official sources like the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS), Public Health Scotland (PHS), and retail sales data. Key trends include:

• Self-Reported Consumption: The prevalence of hazardous or harmful weekly alcohol consumption has declined steadily since 2003, continuing through 2021. In 2022, the average units consumed per week by drinking adults was 12.6, with notable reductions among younger age groups (e.g., 16-24-year-olds reported the lowest levels since 2008). Self-reported consumption among 16-24-year-olds hit its lowest in 2019.
• Retail Sales: Per-adult alcohol sales have decreased, reaching the lowest level in the series (since 1994) in 2021 at 9.4 litres of pure alcohol per adult (equivalent to 18.1 units per week). Off-trade sales (e.g., supermarkets) declined from 2017 to 2024, with total sales trends showing a general downward trajectory compared to England and Wales.
• Policy Impact: The introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in 2018, announced in 2012 alongside a 2011 ban on multi-buy discounts, contributed to an estimated 8% drop in weekly consumption immediately after 2012 and an additional 11% reduction post-2018 compared to 2008-2011 baselines. Overall UK trends since 2005 (including Scotland) show falling proportions of drinkers and reduced amounts consumed, especially among youth.

While consumption has fallen, alcohol-specific deaths rose to 1,185 in 2024 (highest since 2008), and hospital admissions for wholly alcohol-attributable conditions dropped 37.5% from a 2007/08 peak to 532 per 100,000 in 2022/23, but remain elevated in deprived areas.

Drug ConsumptionDrug consumption trends in Scotland since 2011 are more mixed, with overall illicit drug use showing declines in some areas (e.g., among youth and problem drug use prevalence), but rises in others (e.g., specific substances like cocaine and multiple-drug use). Data is primarily from the Scottish Health Survey, PHS prevalence studies, and hospitalisation statistics:

• Overall and Youth Use: Lifetime illicit drug use among 16-year-olds fell from 20.5% in 2013 to 13.6% in 2019. Problem drug use (PDU) prevalence estimates for ages 15-64 were stable or slightly declining from 2015/16 (latest national study), but comprehensive post-2016 data is limited.
• Specific Substances:
  • Opiates (e.g., heroin): Hospitalisation rates have generally declined since 2011/12.
  • Benzodiazepines: Rates dropped from 2011/12 to 2019/20.
  • Cocaine: Hospitalisation rates rose year-on-year since 2011/12, reaching 72.1 per 100,000 in 2019/20 (over three times higher than 2011/12).
  • Cannabinoids: Rates quadrupled from 2011/12 to 2018/19 (3.42 per 100,000).
  • Multiple/Other Drugs: Hospitalisation rates increased annually since 2011/12 to 40 per 100,000 in 2019/20.
• Treatment and High-Risk Behaviors: Initial assessments for specialist drug treatment fell to 7,938 in 2020/21 (from higher pre-pandemic levels), partly due to COVID-19 disruptions. Needle/syringe sharing stabilized at ~4-6% since 2011/12 (down from 11% in 2006/07).

Drug-related deaths reached a record 1,200+ in 2020 and have remained high, driven by synthetic opioids and polydrug use (e.g., with alcohol), despite some consumption declines. Overall, while youth and problem drug use have decreased, emerging substance trends indicate no uniform fall in consumption levels.

Sources:

For specific reports or raw data, you can refer to:

• Public Health Scotland: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/
• Scottish Health Survey: https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-health-survey/
• National Records of Scotland: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/

You can support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method - Bernadette/John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421