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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 22 Aug 13:21
Here are the headlines from three stories which appear on the BBC Scotland News page today :-
`Stonehaven crash: Network Rail to face fatal derailment charges`
`Nicky Campbell tells inquiry of school sexual abuse`
`Scottish drug deaths drop to lowest level for five years`
Only two of them were included on the UK News web page. Can you guess which was the odd one out?
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Topic Originator: McCaig`s Tower
Date: Tue 22 Aug 14:11
I`m looking at the BBC UK news page right now - it has one main headline (Lucy Letby) and six subsidiary headlines:
Stonehaven crash;
MRI scans for prostate cancer;
Scottish Drug deaths:
Nicky Campbell school abuse;
Shrewsbury murder;
School cuts to PE in England.
I`m not sure of your point?
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 22 Aug 14:16
There`s nothing about the drop in drug deaths on the UK news page I`m looking at despite it being the top story on the Scotland page.
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Topic Originator: McCaig`s Tower
Date: Tue 22 Aug 14:42
Clearly we are looking at different pages.
I don`t think there is any conspiracy here, denying the English the chance to view a bad news story about the SG. But you may think it is actually a good news story?
I suspect that the placement of stories is a function of time - newer stories take precedence over older ones (breaking...Glenn Miller is still missing) - importance (perhaps measured by hits) and possibly location.
Unless MI5 are involved.
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Tue 22 Aug 14:55
Falling drug deaths are cleary good news. They are still shockingly high in this country but sadly that`s nothing to do with the SG; if it were then there would be a much easier fix.
In fact, I seem to remember reading yesterday that the Westminster governemnt intends to block the SG`s extremely sensible (and proven to be highly successful) solution; the one recommended by health professionals and charities working with people with addictions.
Post Edited (Tue 22 Aug 19:23)
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 22 Aug 15:44
I now see that what I thought was the UK News page is in fact the `Home` News page. It includes stories from all over the world. It still seems odd to me that Scottish stories about Network Rail and Nicky Campbell are included there but the story about drug deaths, which is considered to be the top story on the Scotland page, isn`t. The coverage there has been expanded considerably since it first appeared this morning.
I`m surprised that a 21% fall in drug deaths in a year could be considered to be anything other than a `good news` story.
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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Tue 22 Aug 16:27
Drugs deaths still worst in Europe. You really think that’s a good news story?
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 22 Aug 17:02
Did you expect that stat to change in 12 months? Any movement in the right direction is good news surely.
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Tue 22 Aug 17:17
Drug deaths are still an absolute disgrace, but a 20% drop is not insignificant and is a fantastic result.
If the BBC was a decent reporter of news, it would be examining these results and questioning the suggestion of decriminalising drugs, which has proven to be highly effective in Portugal, yet is being blocked by the UK Government. Presumably there are valid reasons for not allowing drugs to be decriminalised in Scotland yet I don`t believe these reasons have been published in the mainstream media.
Was there ever a response to the overturning of the GR bill? I realise it was controversial, but it was supported by MSPs from ALL parties.
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Tue 22 Aug 17:29
If the BBC was a decent reporter of news, it would be examining these results and questioning the suggestion of decriminalising drugs, which has proven to be highly effective in Portugal, yet is being blocked by the UK Government.
The story in quesion, on the front page of the BBC Newswebsite, goes over that.
And, to be fair, they also have a separate story (although not on the front page) that specifically covers the decriminalisation issue using Portugal as a model.
Post Edited (Tue 22 Aug 17:31)
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Tue 22 Aug 17:41
Parboiled, if you check the figures then you will see that the average age of the people who are dying is about 45. This means that they will have been, on average, addicts for a tad under thirty years.
Essentially what`s happening here is that the original 80s/90s heroin epidemic (as depicted in Trainspotting) is coming home to roost and we are seeing that the life expectancy for someone with a long-term illicit opiate addiction is mid-forties.
The life expectancy for someone with a medically managed opiate addiction is the same as the general populace by the way - harm reduction, decriminalisation and the Medical (as opposed to Criminal) Model of addiction all work and save lives.
"Who you are and what you feel comes not just from inside you, but from where you are in the power structure"
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Tue 22 Aug 19:00
Thanks Wotsit. The article unfortunately simply states the UK Government considers it "dangerous", which probably means it would negatively impact those benefiting from drug sales.
100% correct on the historic figures too. Change takes many years to have any effect. What we need to stop is the legacy of those who turned to drugs in the 80s trickling down to the next generation. Places like Glasgow still remain to be depressing dumps with large areas of deprivation, which are breeding grounds for drug and alcohol abuse.
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Tue 22 Aug 19:22
Have the Tories even bothered expanding on why they think it`s dangerous? I think they simply believe that they can still have "NO, IT`S NAUGHTY" as their entire drugs policy.
Mind you not even the BBC agrees with them this time it seems.
Post Edited (Tue 22 Aug 19:24)
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Tue 22 Aug 19:38
Didn`t understand the Channel 4 news chart, English areas on graph and then England, how does that work?
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Topic Originator: Buspasspar
Date: Tue 22 Aug 19:58
Its a sorry state when Scotland are top of the drugs death table .. are the figures based on actual deaths or per capita ?
Some of my best pals have lost Sons and Daughters through drug abuse and taking their own lives as a consequence of the abuse .. RIP
One Bonny lass was found dead in my Godsons home (who was heavily into drugs) .. having overdosed
My Niece is in and out of gaol for drug related offences and used to steal from her Nanna`s purse to feed her habit
So any reduction for me is a positive
Back in the late 50`s early 60`s drugs were so available to us teens .. some of my best mates running around on speed and acid ..Cannabis was everywhere
Thank God I was strong willed enough not to touch them
Did I live in a deprived area .. a Capital City slum .. NO this was a wee County Town
Post Edited (Wed 23 Aug 15:29)
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Topic Originator: parsfan
Date: Tue 22 Aug 20:35
Quote:
LochgellyAlbert, Tue 22 Aug 19:38
Didn`t understand the Channel 4 news chart, English areas on graph and then England, how does that work?
There was a figure for England as a whole plus other ones for different regions. North East and West were higher than the overall England score and were balanced out by places with fewer deaths.
Similarly there was a column for the UK plus others for Scotland, England, Wales
& N Ireland.
What might have been helpful is if they`d split Scotland up as well and shown the figures for Dundee & Glasgow separately from the other cities and wider areas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The universe is ruled by chance and indifference
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Tue 22 Aug 20:59
Seemed pretty one sided!
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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Wed 23 Aug 09:01
3 times higher than England and Wales 14 times the European average.
Wonder if Sturgeon will mention that in her memoirs, along with her other resounding achievements in closing the attainment gap, patient waiting times, ferries, etc etc?
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Wed 23 Aug 09:43
Quote:
Parboiled, Wed 23 Aug 09:01
3 times higher than England and Wales 14 times the European average.
Wonder if Sturgeon will mention that in her memoirs, along with her other resounding achievements in closing the attainment gap, patient waiting times, ferries, etc etc?
Wouldn`t mind some of what your on!🤔
Free prescription of course!😎
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Wed 23 Aug 09:57
Unionists don`t like `whataboutery` but love to compare Scotland`s drug deaths with everyone else`s.
Does that mean drug deaths in E&W are almost 5 times the European average?
What are the comparable figures for the attainment gap and hospital waiting times in other parts of the UK? Didn`t a UK minister award a ferry contract to a company with no experience of running ferries?
We`re still waiting for Parboiled to post one comment on the performance of the UK government which has far more influence on us than the Scottish government does.
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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Wed 23 Aug 10:37
Eck is far more interested in the part of the UK he doesn’t live in..!
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Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks
Date: Wed 23 Aug 10:47
LA, you`d also get a free prescription in England as well.
And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Wed 23 Aug 11:46
Interested to hear what actions people think should be taken to reduce drug deaths?
Poverty is a massive reason for drug use and a lot has been done to reduce poverty in Scotland through things like the baby box, free prescriptions, free school meals and banning of the bedroom tax.
Consumption rooms and decriminalisation have been suggested and been rejected.
Education was a massive piece in the 90s. I remember there being adverts about the risks of drugs and alcohol being frequently shown on TV.
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Wed 23 Aug 16:59
The cohort who are currently dying at an alarming rate aren`t going to stop using drugs. They didn`t stop in the last 30-odd years since they started and they`re not going to wake up tomorrow and decide that they are done. A few aren`t going to wake up tomorrow at all.
Harm reduction, such as safe consumption rooms and medicalised treatment are the answers. In fact I`d go even further and prescribe medical morphine, in a controlled way, to any heroin addict who wants it.
I`d also be interested to see if anybody is prepared to make a sensible case for why the UK government has blocked the harm reduction measures proposed by the SG?
"Who you are and what you feel comes not just from inside you, but from where you are in the power structure"
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Topic Originator: Tenruh
Date: Wed 23 Aug 17:43
Quote:
Wotsit, Wed 23 Aug 16:59
The cohort who are currently dying at an alarming rate aren`t going to stop using drugs. They didn`t stop in the last 30-odd years since they started and they`re not going to wake up tomorrow and decide that they are done. A few aren`t going to wake up tomorrow at all.
Harm reduction, such as safe consumption rooms and medicalised treatment are the answers. In fact I`d go even further and prescribe medical morphine, in a controlled way, to any heroin addict who wants it.
I`d also be interested to see if anybody is prepared to make a sensible case for why the UK government has blocked the harm reduction measures proposed by the SG?
Is it because it`s not allowed within the devolution agreement?
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Wed 23 Aug 19:08
Quote:
Tenruh, Wed 23 Aug 17:43
Quote:
Wotsit, Wed 23 Aug 16:59
The cohort who are currently dying at an alarming rate aren`t going to stop using drugs. They didn`t stop in the last 30-odd years since they started and they`re not going to wake up tomorrow and decide that they are done. A few aren`t going to wake up tomorrow at all.
Harm reduction, such as safe consumption rooms and medicalised treatment are the answers. In fact I`d go even further and prescribe medical morphine, in a controlled way, to any heroin addict who wants it.
I`d also be interested to see if anybody is prepared to make a sensible case for why the UK government has blocked the harm reduction measures proposed by the SG?
Is it because it`s not allowed within the devolution agreement?
I think the suggestion is it should be and the question is "why not?"
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Wed 23 Aug 20:39
Health is devolved.
The SG views drugs deaths as a health issue (I do too, do you Tenruh?) however the UKG choose to interpret it as criminal justice within the context of devolved powers.
Also, the UKG could simply recognise that there is a problem which is specifically Scottish and change the SG`s powers to reflect that.
So, as jake said, the question is how does the UKG taking this position?
Any better answers than Tenruh`s "because that`s how it is"?
Post Edited (Wed 23 Aug 20:47)
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Fri 25 Aug 11:59
*tumbleweed*
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Sat 16 Sep 17:05
Over 90% of ferries running on time, yet businesses complaining about loosing revenue, due to cancelled ferries?
More like BBC & STV scaremongering has affected the tourism sector.
Ferry storey coming out after Labour overtaken in the polls, how`d have believed it?🤔😡😡😡
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sat 16 Sep 19:14
It`s pretty poor. I saw a thing on YouTube by an American tourist who had said they almost didn`t visit the islands because of what they`d read. They went anyway and experienced no issues. 🤦♂️
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Topic Originator: McCaig`s Tower
Date: Sun 17 Sep 21:30
Does the 90% include all the sailings from, say, Gallanach to Kerrera or Colintraive to Rhubodach? Because that would be a way of inflating the figures to look better.
The whole ferries issue is an absolute shambles (not just the 2 hugely expensive state of the Ark ferries that have never sailed, but the lack of attention to maintaining and replacing an aging fleet, not to mention the surrounding infrastructure) and highland and island communities are suffering real hardship. But they are mostly teuchters so maybe it doesn’t matter to a central belt dominated parliament.
No wonder Angus Brendan thinks he’s going to lose his seat.
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Mon 18 Sep 10:59
Maybe if Labour had created a replacement programme things would be better, they don`t suddenly become old overnight!
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