Alcohol deaths response – a whimper rather than a bang?

September 4, 2021 ~ Dr David McCartney ~ 2 Comments

Given that there was a 17% year on year increase in fatalities and that the number of alcohol-specific deaths is a significant underestimate of deaths in which alcohol plays a part, I wondered in a tweet why there was a more muted reaction to the alcohol deaths than to the drug deaths. This touched a nerve it seems. A lot of responses were generated and I wanted to share some of the themes here.

2020’s Top Ten Posts #8 – Drug Deaths: Scotland’s Shame

December 26, 2020February 28, 2022 ~ Dr David McCartney

Graphic from European Drug Report 2020: Trends and Developments It's not often graphs elicit an emotional response, but this one did for me. It's from the EMCDDA's recent report on drugs in Europe. The map shows that the UK has high levels of drug-induced mortality compared to most of Europe. But look at the dotted … Continue reading 2020’s Top Ten Posts #8 – Drug Deaths: Scotland’s Shame

Drug Deaths: Scotland’s Shame

October 18, 2020February 28, 2022 ~ Dr David McCartney

Scotland’s ORT Outcomes

January 5, 2013February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

Scotland invests a very large portion of their treatment resources into ORT and recently released a report on their outcomes. Pretty underwhelming. ... the Report on People in Treatment study reveals that more than two out of every three users who go into treatment admit continuing to use illegal drugs after three months. ... Where … Continue reading Scotland’s ORT Outcomes

Two stories on methadone

August 20, 2012February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 9 Comments

First, DEATHS among drug users have hit a record high in Scotland, increasing by a fifth in 2011, the latest government figures reveal. Last year 584 people died from drug use, which means that drugs now account for one in every 100 deaths in Scotland. The heroin substitute, methadone, was at the heart of the … Continue reading Two stories on methadone