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Original poster

Why does Scotland have such a massive drugs problem?

184 replies

TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 18:32

3 people die in Scotland every day due to drugs year.
The worse place in Europe.
Why?

OP posts:
Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 18:33

43 year old on the newsokks about 65 and has been taking drugs since 10 years old

The drugs she takes are flooding Scotland

OP posts:
Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 18:34

Looks about

OP posts:
Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 18:35

3.5 higher drug death rate than the rest of the UK!

The devolved government need to look to themselves to what they are doing wrong

OP posts:
Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 18:37

They really need to focus on this since twice as many drug deaths as covid drugs

Ridiculous

OP posts:
Iggi999 · 30/07/2021 18:37

I have no idea. I know poverty and lack of opportunity are involved, but there must have been some other reasons.
Those are mad figures.

Mrsjayy · 30/07/2021 18:38

Poverty unemployment generations of drug abuse passed on to children as " norm" its horrific what happened to that woman to make her start taking drugs at 10 years old. I agree she looked 63 and done with life.

Mrsjayy · 30/07/2021 18:39

Lockdown would have been an endless drug binge for them.

FlyingScott · 30/07/2021 18:40

DS just heard this in the news and said he doesn’t want to go to Scotland on holiday anymore 😔

PicsInRed · 30/07/2021 18:40

A millenium of subjugation and colonialism perhaps?

I mean, what's your guess OP?

Butterflymosaic · 30/07/2021 18:41

Unlike the rest of the EU there is a stiff NO to any investment into safe spaces for addicts to inject, where they would have care in case of overdose. Scotland has tried to push for a change of policy before, but I recall it’s due to wider UK policy.

Morgan12 · 30/07/2021 18:41

I assume its heroin and street valium?

felulageller · 30/07/2021 18:42

People develop addictions as a way of self medicating unresolved trauma.

This is the legacy of 80s Thatcherite policy on Scotland. The deaths now are the kids of the people put out of work and houses in 'deserts with windows' back then.

There is no universal provision of trauma therapy in the UK. That's the real problem.

AgentProvocateur · 30/07/2021 18:43

I just typed a massive post and lost it!

I’ve wondered this for a long time. I see guys I was at school with who are now in their 50s and still in drugs. Is it a lack of rehab places? Is it a lack of social mobility that when you come out of rehab and go back to where your family and friends are, your dealers are there too? Is it too acceptable? There’s a lot of sympathy for drug users. Should they be legalised?

Mrsjayy · 30/07/2021 18:43

"Junkies" aren't hanging around every corner tell your son he will be fine! That's like me not wanting to go to London in case I get stabbed.

MazDazzle · 30/07/2021 18:50

In my area there’s relatively low cost housing, there’s generally enough social housing to meet demand and there’s the opportunity to earn decent money without student debt (fishing and oil) as well as prolonged chunks of time off (up to a month).

This is what it’s like in my area, although of course this isn’t the case in the whole of Scotland!

In my experience, it’s wealth as well as poverty that’s lead to drug problems. Some of the worst areas are also rural e.g Aberdeenshire. I remember there being a documentary about it in the 90s.

We’ve always had a reputation as being big drinkers, maybe it’s progressed to drugs?

MurielSpriggs · 30/07/2021 18:56

@PicsInRed

A millenium of subjugation and colonialism perhaps?

I mean, what's your guess OP?

I wonder if it is this.

I'm assuming implicit in the question is a comparison with other parts of the UK. There are all sorts of factors, including drugs policy which might make drug use in Scotland different from other parts of the world. But there is no significant difference in drug policy between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. In terms of economic decline and the impact of 1980s thatcherism you could easily compare Glasgow to Liverpool for example, and yet the drug problem in Glasgow is considerably worse.

BrozTito · 30/07/2021 18:57

Conservative policies creating deprivation now and in the 80s. The Iranian revolution opening the brown heroin route and flooding Scotland. Use of benzos drug mixing culture. SNP uselessness and knowing they can blame it on England for years.

BrozTito · 30/07/2021 19:00

Sorry when was Scotland subjugated? Or are you talking about Scotlands involvement in Ireland /the empire?

AbsolutelyPatsy · 30/07/2021 19:01

availability?
family attitudes?
genetic disposition

Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 19:02

@Morgan12

I assume its heroin and street valium?
Apparently so. I hope the new funding helps. Seeing the mother on the news talking about losing her son was really sad
OP posts:
Puffalicious · 30/07/2021 19:03

@felulageller

People develop addictions as a way of self medicating unresolved trauma.

This is the legacy of 80s Thatcherite policy on Scotland. The deaths now are the kids of the people put out of work and houses in 'deserts with windows' back then.

There is no universal provision of trauma therapy in the UK. That's the real problem.

Absolutely. But the people in London/ Liverpool/ Birmingham/ Manchester would have been similarly affected. Why is it my home city of Glasgow is riddled with it?

Not particularly where I live, but as a whole. Why?

Gingerkittykat · 30/07/2021 19:04

A women I had known since she was 17 died a couple of months ago from a heroin overdose aged 39. She had 4 children but had lost custody of them all, she also had a baby who died when she was young.

Her lifestory is horrific, her parents were heroin addicts who sold the kid's clothes to buy drugs. My friend (her aunt) stepped in and the family moved to my area to start again.

She was a bright girl who fell into drugs. She had a baby at 17, had her removed and then got her back. The other kids followed and they were all removed permanently when they found out the 14 year old was skipping school to care for the young ones while mum was off her face.

She went downhill after her mum died and ended up sleeping rough with her boyfriend before her death. It was so sad to see her begging on the street.

Luckily her kids are now doing well and will hopefully break the cycle.

Her twin brother was also a heroin addict who spent some time in jail, thankfully he seems to be in a better place now.

I live in an village and some parts are rough. I know valium is £1 for a 10mg pill and a lot of people walk round with blue mouths because of the cheap dye in them.

I have no idea why it is so bad here, certainly in the case of the woman I talked about growing up where heroin use was normal contributed to her addiction.

Addicts deserve compassion and support and I wish they got that. As well as rehab to get off the drugs there needs to be more social support so kids who have lived with addicts can see a better life for themselves.

Original poster
TheTallOakTrees · 30/07/2021 19:05

@Mrsjayy

Poverty unemployment generations of drug abuse passed on to children as " norm" its horrific what happened to that woman to make her start taking drugs at 10 years old. I agree she looked 63 and done with life.
Yes I agree, no hope, no future
OP posts:
BrozTito · 30/07/2021 19:06

Its worse in Scotland because of theglasgow 80s 90s gangs and because thatcherism covered all Scotland, not like in england which had barriers of wealth still, stopping the spread of heroin. And the massive valium use which causes loads of deaths