SCOTLAND THE STONED

When the Scottish Parliament was formed, enthusiasts looked forward to a bright future. History has proven how hollow these aspirations were. Scotland since the advent of the Hollyrood Parliament has still all the same social problems, indeed some of them have grown worse. "The use of cocaine and crack cocaine in Scotland has almost trebled in the past five years, according to new figures. Scottish Executive statistics showed that of the drug users seeking help for their problem last year, 1,250 were using cocaine, up from 982 a year earlier and more than double the number (549) in 2001-02. Those using crack cocaine rose sharply from 190 people five years ago to 484 in 2005-06." (Times, 20 December) RD