From BBC Scotland, today, the above and:

The number of women who died last year in Scotland from alcohol-related illnesses was up by 3% on the year before, official figures show., external Overall, the total number of people who died from alcohol-related conditions fell slightly, to the lowest rate since the pandemic. There were 1,152 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland, a decrease of 3% compared with 2024. The Scottish government said the drop amounted to progress and that it would invest £160m this year on alcohol and drugs programmes. But one mother from Aberdeen whose daughter died alone after decades fighting alcoholism described her illness as “relentless” and said sometimes all the resources available are still not enough to beat it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cre3xgplz3lvo

Sometimes, I weary. Why is a 3% increase among women just ‘up’, while the 3% total fall from a bigger number, is only ‘slightly’ down.

And, see this from the same BBC Scotland report:

Pay attention. Among women and men, the longer term trend from more than ten years ago is up ‘slightly‘ but even that was a pandemic effect and the trend since 2022 (women) or 2023 (men) is clearly down.

But, but, ‘one mother!’

Yes, I know but the readers need a bit of context otherwise the ‘one mother’ story is going to make them anxious about life in Scotland today and then vote conservatively…………Ah, I get it now.