Scotland’s shameful record on deaths linked to booze and drugs remains a national scandal.
Drug deaths are still the highest in Europe and were a stain on Nicola Sturgeon’s administration. Alcohol-related deaths are at their highest level since 2008 and reflect the country’s troubled relationship with drink.
The stigma linked to addiction also endures and has a shaming effect on people who are ill.
A brilliant new campaign, See Beyond – See the Lives, aims to reduce the scarring that surrounds these tragic deaths. Friends and family members have written letters to their loved ones in a bid to shatter myths about people who suffer substance misuse.
One of the most powerful has been written by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, whose dad Gerard died from alcohol misuse in 2015.
She spoke of her anguish in difficult times but also the inspiration and encouragement her dad gave in her life.
She also recalled accompanying him to Alcoholics Anonymous as a teenager: “I often wonder what happened to all the other people. I hope their families and friends know how much they wanted to get well and to undo any hurt.”
Most people will know someone who has suffered from problems with drugs or alcohol. Compassion, not judgment, is required, and the negative language of the past needs to stay there.
Not only is a step change in service provision needed but attitudes must change too.
We can't let TB be our next medical crisis
Tuberculosis is overtaking Covid-19 as the world’s most deadly and infectious disease. Scientists have warned that with annual TB deaths heading towards two million, it now poses a significant threat to Scotland and the rest of the UK.
But with our NHS already at breaking point, it’s like hitting a boxer when they’re down. Waiting times for cancer treatment are at a record high and A&E wards are in chaos – with no beds for patients and ambulances queueing up at the door.
Securing an appointment with a GP is becoming increasingly difficult and there is a huge backlog of operations.
Which is why we must begin taking the warnings seriously, just like Germany and the US, who are both well on track to eradicating the disease.
As infectious disease expert, Professor Robert Wilkinson, outlines – a simple first step is to ensure that all legal and illegal arrivals to the UK have access to adequate medical support and, if necessary, are provided screening and early treatment for TB.
It’s the least we can do to try to ease the growing pressure on our embattled doctors, nurses and health care teams.
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