Tag: drugs

5 Comments

Scotland’s slowing drug death rate fall linked to flood of cross-border low-cost, high strength drugs and inadequate police resources in England and Wales

johnrobertson834

In the run-up to the July General Election, Labour promised to add 3 000 new officers1 to the current 240 000 in England and Wales2 – a 01.25% increase. This promise was, in part, in response to steadily climbing drug deaths: The rate of drug-poisoning deaths in 2023 (93.0 deaths per million) was double the rate in 2012 (46.5 deaths per million). The rate has increased every year since 2012.3 Why are drug deaths climbing steadily and even accelerating in England & Wales since around 2017? The National Crime Agency first reported on County Lines Drug gangs in 2015 and … Continue reading Scotland’s slowing drug death rate fall linked to flood of cross-border low-cost, high strength drugs and inadequate police resources in England and Wales

3 Comments

Herald mentions ‘County Lines’ drug gangs for first time in nearly 6 years, avoids saying ‘from England’ and leaves direction of flow unclear

johnrobertson834

The Herald yesterday, to everyone here’s surprise, has the above image and Pair jailed in ‘County Lines’ drug operation in Aberdeen – Two men have been jailed after being caught with £10,000 worth of drugs in Aberdeen. Jahvid Frith, 28, and Tyrone Sealey were arrested in February 2023 when police recovered cocaine, heroin and cannabis from a flat in Marischal Court, as well as £2,000 in cash, multiple mobile phones and other items used to co-ordinate drug supply. This is their first time since, in January 2019: Whatever happened to Tony Diver? You’d have thought this narrative with 11 year-old drug … Continue reading Herald mentions ‘County Lines’ drug gangs for first time in nearly 6 years, avoids saying ‘from England’ and leaves direction of flow unclear

Leave a comment

Good news – major fall in annual trends for suspected drug deaths, A&E and hospital admissions

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: Drug-related data can vary seasonally, so me comparing the same quarter, in this case June-August, gives a more accurate measure of trends. First, on drug deaths: In the latest period (3 June to 25 August 2024), the total number of suspected drug deaths was 225, averaging 19 per week. The total number of deaths was 10% lower than the previous quarter (249), 13% lower than the same period in 2022 (258) and 25% lower than in 2023 (301). A suspected drug death is a death where controlled drugs are suspected of being … Continue reading Good news – major fall in annual trends for suspected drug deaths, A&E and hospital admissions

5 Comments

Meet the County Lines drug gang who used children to peddle heroin and cocaine from the Midlands but BBC Scotland and the supposedly intelligent press will not tell you about

johnrobertson834

From Birmingham Live, today: Drugs are a problem police continue to tackle as dangerous substances remain on our streets. And one way criminals are flooding towns with the likes of heroin and cocaine is through county lines. The system involves drug dealers establishing networks for the supply and distribution of illegal substances usually to towns and rural areas. They are notorious for using young and vulnerable people as a means to do this. The group ran drugs lines known as the AB Line and the Jay Line. Asante ran his criminal business from Wolverhampton and Stafford. He was assisted with … Continue reading Meet the County Lines drug gang who used children to peddle heroin and cocaine from the Midlands but BBC Scotland and the supposedly intelligent press will not tell you about

Leave a comment

Drug gangs from Aylesbury and Liverpool exploiting children and vulnerable adults in Scotland plead guilty to Modern Day Slavery but our media concentrate on ‘Scotland’s Tony Soprano’

johnrobertson834

From Merseyside Police yesterday: Three people who exploited children to sell drugs as part of a county lines network have been sentenced today (Thursday 10 October). James O’Keefe, 23, of no fixed address, Kerry Russell, 39, of Titherington Way, Liverpool and Ruby O’Keefe, 19, of Colby Close, Liverpool were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thursday 10 October). Officers from Merseyside’s Project Medusa, the initiative to tackle county lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country, began an investigation into James O’Keefe in November 2023. Despite being in prison for previous offences, detectives established that James O’Keefe was … Continue reading Drug gangs from Aylesbury and Liverpool exploiting children and vulnerable adults in Scotland plead guilty to Modern Day Slavery but our media concentrate on ‘Scotland’s Tony Soprano’

10 Comments

In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

johnrobertson834

Only from Yahoo! News today: A 20-year-old man [above] has been jailed for over a year after ferrying class-A drugs between Aylesbury and Scotland and ‘cuckooing’ a vulnerable woman at her home. Tyrees Kuba-Ngoma, of Friarscroft Way in Aylesbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin at Aylesbury Crown Court last Tuesday, October 1. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/man-20-jailed-cuckooing-vulnerable-170642139.html Police Scotland estimate more than 300 homes in Scotland have vulnerable adults being cuckooed by English County Lines gangs. BBC Scotland have twice, in 2021 and 2024, referred to this practice but on neither occasion did they indicate the English city from … Continue reading In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

3 Comments

Up to 80% of Scotland’s drug deaths were among those who became addicted before the SNP came to power, 93% of nearly 30 000 referrals per year are treated within 3 weeks and more than half within only 1 week!

johnrobertson834

From Public Health Scotland’s National drug related death database (Scotland)Analysis of Deaths Registered in 2019 and 2020, published today, it’s clear that Scotland’s drug deaths 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 use, in 2007. Treatment for these users has been, for years, top notch, with above the 90% target seen within three weeks or less: Between 1 April and 30 June 2024, 7,361 referrals to community-based services started treatment. Of these referrals, … Continue reading Up to 80% of Scotland’s drug deaths were among those who became addicted before the SNP came to power, 93% of nearly 30 000 referrals per year are treated within 3 weeks and more than half within only 1 week!

1 Comment

English newspaper looks 10 000 miles south to report opioid crisis in Australia but fails to notice a solution launched THIRTEEN years ago just 400 miles to the north

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has: Australian demand for overdose drug naloxone more than doubles after spike in synthetic opioid deaths but no mention of Scotland in the report. Why might it have? This: Scotland was the first country in the world [2011] to introduce a national naloxone programme, empowering individuals, families, friends and communities to reverse an opiate overdose. https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs/naloxone-provision/#:~:text=Scotland%20was%20the%20first%20country,years%20from%202011%20to%202016. From Public Health Scotland in August 2021: Since the establishment of the National Naloxone Programme in 2011/12:• 74,629 THN kits have been issued by services based in the community.• 8,793 THN kits have been issued by prisons … Continue reading English newspaper looks 10 000 miles south to report opioid crisis in Australia but fails to notice a solution launched THIRTEEN years ago just 400 miles to the north

7 Comments

Will BBC Scotland start reporting ‘County Lines’ gangs after finding one ‘kind of’ Scottish guy involved?

johnrobertson834

Top row, second left, him! in the Northamptonshire Telegraph yesterday: Corby county lines drug gang member James Carroll convicted for part in crack cocaine and heroin trade in Corby and Kettering. A gang who ran drugs lines supplying heroin and cocaine have been convicted – with their ringleader being found guilty of exploiting children to operate his trade, helped by a man from Corby. James Carroll, aged 46, of Dumble Close, Corby was convicted of facilitating travel for a child for the purpose of exploitation. This is the AB drugs gang running drugs using child carriers as far north as … Continue reading Will BBC Scotland start reporting ‘County Lines’ gangs after finding one ‘kind of’ Scottish guy involved?

3 Comments

Unique SNP drug death prevention scheme reduces load on hospitals for 4th quarter in a row and down by one third in only one year

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson Why is the above happening? In major part for this reason: 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 by Police Scotland, ambulances and prisons, and made available to libraries, community centres, taxi drivers and to the friends and relatives of users. Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a national naloxone programme, empowering individuals, families, friends and communities to reverse an opiate overdose. Anyone in Scotland can … Continue reading Unique SNP drug death prevention scheme reduces load on hospitals for 4th quarter in a row and down by one third in only one year