From Smoking attributable hospital admissions and deaths Scotland 2024 published today: There were an estimated 1,107 smoking‑attributable hospital admissions per 100,000 population (38,675 admissions). This is a 36% decrease since 2008 (1,735 per 100,000). There were an estimated 204 smoking‑attributable deaths per 100,000 population (7,085 deaths). This is a 39% decrease since 2008 (334 per 100,000). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/smoking-attributable-hospital-admissions-and-deaths/smoking-attributable-hospital-admissions-and-deaths-scotland-2024/ These are massive improvements which must be thanks to the SNP because if more folk were smoking and dying it would be widely blamed on them. Continue reading After nearly 20 years of SNP Governments most Scots no longer so desperate for a fag as they were under Jack McConnell

From BBC Business, based on the latest ONS data, today: The UK unemployment rate has unexpectedly gone up while the number of job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level in five years as the initial impact of the Iran war on firms starts to be felt. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5% in the three months to March from 4.9% in the three months to February. Analysts said the figures show the first effects of the Middle East war on the jobs market, and warned demand for workers would likely continue to weaken the longer the conflict goes … Continue reading Youth unemployment 17% higher in UK average than in Scotland

Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From BBC Scotland yesterday: Edinburgh council reaches settlement after suing tram law firm – The City of Edinburgh Council has settled its multi-million pound damages claim against a law firm that advised it over the first tram project. The local authority was seeking more than £200m in compensation, claiming DLA Piper failed to give adequate warnings that the price of the tram line would escalate. and way down the page: The £13m inquiry concluded in 2023 that failings by the City of Edinburgh Council and its arms-length companies were to blame for the delays … Continue reading How BBC Scotland tried to shift the blame for a Labour council’s ‘litany of failures’ in the Edinburgh Tram Project onto the SNP

in Scotland last year. BBC Scotland‘s short insert in BBC Breakfast show this morning reports on a survey by the Royal College of Nursing on racist incidents in the NHS and suggests the above figures for NHS Scotland. It’s not covered by BBC Breakfast or on the websites of BBC Wales, Northern Ireland, nor for that matter, BBC Scotland with the implication then that it must be worse here. The Guardian this morning helped with context and prompted our response: Nurses across the UK reported 6,812 incidents last year in which they suffered racist abuse, NHS figures show, a big … Continue reading Only BBC Scotland reports on racism in the NHS yet on their own figures it is more than TWICE as common in other parts of the UK

There is a clear positive trend revealed in the data above from Re-conviction statistics for male offenders: FOI release published today. Violent crimes over the eight year period from 2012/13 to 2020/21, among under 21s fell from 181 to 44, more than three-quartered! For 21 to 30 year-olds from 492 to 231, it more than halved! Then, however, for all of the over 30 years groups, there were much more modest improvements. What might explain this? On 1 January 2000, lead in petrol was banned in the UK, when Scotland’s under 21s and 21s to 30s were still very young … Continue reading Massive fall in violent crime in Scotland especially among younger adults as lead pollution disappears