Tag: drugs

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FIVE years of success in turning Scotland’s drug deaths trend around, the reasons for that and the reasons it’s not even better than that

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Professor John Robertson OBA This is simply untrue. The drug deaths trend in Scotland has been downward for these last five years, from 1 339 in 2020 to 1 017. A 24.2% fall, by a quarter in only 5 years after more than 20 years of increasing, is very significant and suggests a successful strategy by government, which I’ll return to. Here is the evidence in two graphs, for 2020 and 2025 from Drug-related deaths in Scotland, 2024, published on 2 September 2025: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland-2024/ The full NRS report contains further evidence that this is a confirmed downward trend and notably … Continue reading FIVE years of success in turning Scotland’s drug deaths trend around, the reasons for that and the reasons it’s not even better than that

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Sarwar Jr has the same grasp of medical science as RFK Jr before his conversion on measles vaccines and supports a criminal justice approach to drug abuse which does not reduce it and which carries significant harms for individuals and for all of us

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Professor John Robertson OBA Robert F Kennedy Jnr has at least had the intelligence to change his mind on measles vaccination but Sarwar Jr shows little sign of learning on drug abuse and regulation as he pursues populist, street-corner, theories in a vain attempt to undermine the SNP Conference and to come second in the 2026 Scottish election. In the Daily Record yesterday as the SNP Conference begins: Anas Sarwar says he does not support drug decriminalisation for personal use: The Scottish Labour leader said communities do not back “making it easier for people to get drugs and take drugs” … Continue reading Sarwar Jr has the same grasp of medical science as RFK Jr before his conversion on measles vaccines and supports a criminal justice approach to drug abuse which does not reduce it and which carries significant harms for individuals and for all of us

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Plummeting drug deaths and target-busting treatment but they desperately hang on to Scotland’s past

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s website is headlining the vote in Holyrood yesterday which rejected the Conservative Party’s proposed bill that would have given people with drug and alcohol addictions the legal right to treatment. The report opens with  Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who tabled the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, said the legislation would have saved lives. However, opponents said the proposals risked overburdening already stretched services. No evidence for either of these claims if offered and the author has little choice but to tell us, at same point, even if later, the facts which … Continue reading Plummeting drug deaths and target-busting treatment but they desperately hang on to Scotland’s past

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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

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With only 7 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA 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, … Continue reading 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

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Drug-related hospital admissions fall steadily by a third for two years to ease pressure on wards due to Scottish Government’s world-first opioid overdose reversal programme, last and only time mentioned on BBC Scotland, by Reevel Alderson in 2016 before he was removed!

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly ​report July 2025 published today, we can see a monthly fluctuating but steady, long term falling trend, in drug-related hospital admissions, from around 210 per month in July 2023 to around 140 in 2025, a 33% fall which must be easing pressure on wards. While there will be more than one factor explaining this trend, this seems key: What is the Naxolone Initiative? After a pilot phase ending in 2018, the Scottish Government began to embed Naloxone opioid overdose reversal kits across NHS Scotland. Shortly after, the … Continue reading Drug-related hospital admissions fall steadily by a third for two years to ease pressure on wards due to Scottish Government’s world-first opioid overdose reversal programme, last and only time mentioned on BBC Scotland, by Reevel Alderson in 2016 before he was removed!

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Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year in a row after Scottish Government’s ‘world-first’ opioid overdose reversal Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland‘s Drug-related hospital statistics Scotland 2022 to 2023 on 16 April 2024 (Latest release): There were 9,663 drug-related hospital stays. The European Age-sex Standardised Rate (EASR) of drug-related hospital stays was 182 stays per 100,000 population. This rate decreased for a third consecutive year, from a peak of 283 per 100,000 population in 2019/20. The highest substance-specific stay rate (81 per 100,000 population) was for opioids (drugs similar … Continue reading Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year in a row after Scottish Government’s ‘world-first’ opioid overdose reversal Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

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300 years in jail for English County Lines drug gang members who had ‘their eye on Scotland’ and who English media link to stubborn drug deaths statistics in Scotland, is NOT news in Scotland it seems – why?

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details By Professor John Robertson OBA My Google Alert today, offered Operation Apollo continues crackdown on County Lines with over 300 years in jail time secured [by the above members] from Cheshire Constabulary. There’s no mention of Scotland in it but it triggered a memory in me. This from 2022: A series of raids across Scotland last week highlighted the continuing focus of Merseyside’s organised crime groups on the drugs market north of the border. Last week officers from Merseyside Police teamed up with Police Scotland for … Continue reading 300 years in jail for English County Lines drug gang members who had ‘their eye on Scotland’ and who English media link to stubborn drug deaths statistics in Scotland, is NOT news in Scotland it seems – why?

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Suspected drug deaths fall dramatically by 30% in last 4 years as world-first SNP scheme bites

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By Professor John Robertson OBA: From Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly ​reports with the most recent released today: That gives a total of 1 001, down from 1 200 in 2023 and a peak of 1 411 in 2020. Suspected drug deaths based on police assessment at the scene of death have now fallen 29% in 4 years and 17% in the last year. Possible explanation? After a pilot phase ending in 2018, the Scottish Government began to embed Naloxone opioid overdose reversal kits across NHS Scotland. Shortly after, the kits which can be administered by anyone, were adopted … Continue reading Suspected drug deaths fall dramatically by 30% in last 4 years as world-first SNP scheme bites

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Why are Scotland’s MSM not reporting Highland police ‘success’ tackling County Lines drug gangs from Liverpool behind 2023 violence?

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson In the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald, today but nowhere in Scotland’s MSM, not even on BBC Scotland’s Highlands & Islands latest news website: Highland police ‘success’ tackling County Lines drug gangs from Liverpool behind 2023 violence after working with Merseyside … Continue reading Why are Scotland’s MSM not reporting Highland police ‘success’ tackling County Lines drug gangs from Liverpool behind 2023 violence?

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News you won’t hear – treatment orders for drug-dependent offenders imposed since 2019 plummet by half and success rates soar

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The emphasis of a DTTO is on drugs treatment as the primary means of reducing offending behaviour rather than the specific offence focused approach of a probation order. Specifically the objectives of a DTTO are to: • Reduce or eliminate an offender’s dependency or propensity to misuse drugs; • Achieve positive changes in the scale and frequency of drug related offending The Order introduces unique aspects e.g. drug testing and regular court reviews as features of a community disposal. The DTTO is a high tariff, highly invasive community disposal involving social work supervision. The order requires regular … Continue reading News you won’t hear – treatment orders for drug-dependent offenders imposed since 2019 plummet by half and success rates soar