People were shocked when it was revealed last year that Scotland had again recorded more drug-related deaths than any other country in Europe.
The uproar prompted the Scottish Government to find more funding for support services and led to a promise from the First Minister to get to grips with the crisis.
For too long, poor public health was taken almost as a given among large sections of our society.
Just look at Scotland’s relationship with drink. Unlike drugs, it’s sold legally.
The percentage of Scots who are dying from alcohol abuse has fallen over the past 20 years. That’s a positive.
The introduction of minimum unit pricing in 2018 is credited with having a beneficial impact.
But figures out yesterday show that a higher proportion of people in Scotland still die from problem drinking than in England and Wales.
Only Northern Ireland has a worse rate, although the figures are almost identical.
It’s another grim reminder that too many people are struggling with alcohol addiction.
The problem has almost certainly become worse during lockdown.
One charity believes it is time for ministers to review the cost of minimum pricing, currently set at 50p a unit.
No one wants to punish the majority of Scots who enjoy a drink responsibly.
Yet we can’t ignore the fact that months of lockdown will have stored up a bunch of health problems across society.
Bold thinking is required to ensure our drinking doesn’t become an even bigger problem.
Dangerous stunt
BORIS Johnson’s trip to Scotland last week was a political stunt that should never have happened.
The Prime Minister has been spooked by how many Scots want to see the back of him and his government.
His visit was widely condemned at a time when all unnecessary travel is banned.
Now it appears Johnson and his team went ahead with their visit to Valneva in the full knowledge there was a Covid outbreak at the West Lothian site.
Fourteen cases of coronavirus were found at the vaccine production firm.
As Neil Findlay MSP says, the decision to continue with this trip was “absolutely extraordinary”.
This visit was not only unnecessary, it was an typically irresponsible act from a feckless Prime Minister.
All he and the people around him were interested in was a photo op – regardless of the risks to public health.
Yet again, Johnson has set a terrible example to the nation he purports to lead.
