Paphos Life

Shocking how bad this is becoming and growing at 27% over previous year!

It appears most bars and clubs have people, if all ages, doing cocaine - as common now as going out for a pint?

"There are said to be about 60,000 problem drug users in Scotland, which has a population of 5.4 million people.
Dr Saket Priyadarshi, of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde addiction services, told MPs last week that Scotland had a much higher drug death rate than the rest of the UK because it had far more problem users.
He also said that Scottish users were taking a lethal cocktail of drugs that often combined opiates such as heroin and methadone with benzodiazepines, pills often known as street valium or street blues.
Dr Priyadarshi said there was an ageing population of drug addicts, mainly men, who had been using heroin for decades and were now also taking new street pills, often containing etizolam which is stronger than prescription benzos."

Scottish Public Health Minister Joe Fitzpatrick said the number of people who have lost their lives because of drug use was "shocking" and it was time for drug abuse to be treated as a public health issue.
During evidence to MPs at Westminster last week, Mr Fitzpatrick praised the "bold move" taken in Portugal to decriminalise drugs but said his government in Scotland was unable to make changes as drugs policy was reserved to Westminster.
But he has pledged to give consideration to any proposals that are brought forward by a new drugs taskforce set up by the Scottish government to examine how best to tackle the issue and save lives.
The woman leading the taskforce, Prof Catriona Matheson, told BBC Scotland the evidence for decriminalisation was strong.
She said: "It is about not putting these marginalised drug users into prison because that further marginalises them and that makes the recovery all the more difficult."

shocking!

Interesting that the Northern European countries have the largest problems!

Why mention Turkey ?
Turkey is not in the European Union

Yep Les Bean. Decriminilisation is the way forward with this vile thing . . . . . . .for some people. Always has been.

Maggie B

Having lived in Scotland for many years, near Dundee, this doesn't come as a total surprise to me.

What is most interesting is that those perennial paragons of virtue, the Scandinavian countries, occupy four of the top nine places.

One of the explanations given for Scotlands high death rate is the minimum pricing of alcohol as it a lot cheaper to buy/take illegal drugs than to drink alcohol.

Putting a drug user in prison is as practical as putting an obese person in a chocolate factory.

Most of the deaths occur in the cities, Glasgow, Dundee in particular, where there is a lot of social deprivation, although the answer is much more complicated. Apparently, the rise in ‘blue pills’ and varying strengths of cocaine is a big problem, where deaths aren’t necessarily related to traditional overdoses, but poisoning and effects on heart and so on.

Maybe the answer is Like Portugal, before it gets even worse. Illegal drugs from dubious sources is a large part of the problem and at least ‘pure’ drugs monitored would help. I wouldn’t relax on this as it the numbers in cities like manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and so on are similar.

Ooooft Terry, go and take a wee chill pill. And, please don't take offence at that comment. X

There are more people living in Scotland than Nicola. We all have our differing views, but you sound angry beyond any reasoning. I like a lot of what the woman says. Also, I disagree with what some of what she has to say.

I try and get some sort of middle ground on whats going on? And ultimately, try to make the best out it. Hard as that may be for a mere mortal.

Let's just all hope we can move together positively in the future.

Maggie B

Fair Doos Terry. Perhaps I read more into your post than was intended by you.

Maggie B

Westminster is in charge of drugs policy as it is not a devolved matter. Westminster has refused Holyrood's request for a safe place for people to take drugs in a controlled environment in Glasgow. This has worked in other countries but not allowed in Scotland.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ter-policy

Meri2 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:58 pm Why mention Turkey ?
Turkey is not in the European Union

There is a difference between Europe and the European Union.