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Family services Parliamentary event
What is the extent and nature of service provision for the families of people who misuse drugs in Scotland?
This question will be addressed in a new report by the UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC), which will be published next month.
Parliamentary event
Scottish Families Affected by Drugs funded the Scottish element of the UK-wide research, on which the report is based. We are profiling the report and inviting discussion with a special event at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 8 March, from 12.30 to 2.15pm.
Attendance is by invite only and there are a limited amount of places. If you are interested in attending please do get in touch.
Have your say
Lisa Finlayson, who sat on the research steering group on behalf of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs says,
‘This important event offers an opportunity for those with an interest in family support services throughout Scotland to hear examples of best practice and gaps in provision.
‘I hope that the research presentation will stimulate discussion on how we can improve and expand upon existing family support services’.
Contributions
Nicola Singleton, Director of Policy and Research for the UKDPC will present the report. We are delighted that Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale is sponsoring the event. Additional speakers will be announced nearer the time.
Happy new year from Keith
Keith Fowler has been Chair of our Board since October 2011. At the start of a new year, he sets out his vision for the organisation.
Keith Fowler
I became a Board member of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs in January 2009, after the death of my son Perry from poly drug use (drugs & alcohol). My main aim in joining the Board was to get better support for families after a drug related death and to promote a better understanding of what families living with a drug user can go through.
Understanding
I’m often asked why I give up my time for this organisation. It is an easy one to answer – it is because of what myself and my family have been through, and because I speak to many other people going through similar situations. We need an organisation that recognises the needs of families.
I passionately believe in our aims, which include strengthening the voice of families affected by drugs misuse; increasing families’ capacity to cope through information and support and improving the quality, scope and reach of local support for family members.
Vision
As Chair of the Board, my vision for the organisation is to employ more Community Development workers so we can get into more communities to support and help families. We are also working to expand our helpline services to include more web-based information and support.
On the advocacy side we need to gain influence with policy makers to make sure that they understand the issues families face, the needs they have and the positive impact they can have on the recovery of their relative.
Enthusiasm
So I, along with the rest of the Board and staff, have big plans for the coming year. We know, however, that 2012 is going to be a difficult year due to the financial climate for the third sector. We are already thinking creatively about securing funding for Scottish Families Affected by Drugs to grow.
It is going to be a challenge but we have a strong, diverse Board and an enthusiastic team who are working hard to get over the hurdles that this year is going to bring.
And can I take this chance to wish you a good 2012 and to say thank you to everyone who supports our work. It’s by working together we can have the greatest impact.
Get in touch
Do you have a question for Keith? Email us at info@sfad.org.uk
Take part in our survey
Help shape the direction of our work and improve our communications
As you may be aware, we are conducting a survey of everyone who has an interest in our work.
This is to give us insight into the needs of families who have been affected by drugs misuse and to get a better understanding of the issues facing them. It is also to help us deliver effective communications and events.
The results will help us to design services and areas of work that best serve families in Scotland. It will also help us back up our funding applications and policy work with evidence.
Complete the survey
The more people who fill out and return the survey, the clearer a picture we will get of the needs of our members.
You can access the short survey here.
Thank you
May we take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in our work and to thank you in advance for completing the survey.
Please note that the deadline for completing your survey is Tuesday 31 January.
All completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw, and the winner will receive a cheque for £50.
If you have any questions or comments about the survey, or if you have any difficulties in accessing or completing it, please contact us.
The scale of Scotland’s drug problem and the impact on families
Scottish Families Affected by Drugs comments on new statistics showing the level of Scotland’s drug problem.
The average problem drug user is male, lives on the west coast of Scotland and is aged 24 to 34, according to a new study about the prevalence of problem drug use in Scotland.
According to the report, the estimated number of individuals with problem drug use in Scotland in 2009/10, aged 15 to 64 years old, was 59,600.
The study, titled ‘Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Use in Scotland 2009/10’ has been carried out by Information Services Division, a support service for NHS Scotland.
Ageing population
It is worth noting that problematic drug users are getting older. These latest statistics show that the age group 35 to 64 accounted for 43% of problematic drugs users in 2009/10. In 2006 this proportion was 34%.
Problem drug use is worst in Scotland’s big cities, with the exception of Edinburgh, and in the west coast regions of East Ayrshire and Invercylde. Rural areas such as the Highlands and Islands have relatively low prevalence levels.
Impact on family networks
Scottish Families Affected by Drugs CEO, Clare Beck, says, ‘This study indicates that providing family support is more vital than ever. Each of these estimated 59,600 individuals has family members who are impacted by their problematic drug use.
‘As users are getting older, their family networks expand from parents to include partners and children. All these family members need support and services in their own right. And with children there are obvious sensitivities and child protection issues.
‘At Scottish Families Affected by Drugs, we hope that evidence about the scale of the family problem will soon be published and recognised alongside the user problem.’
Commenting on the report, David Liddell, Director of Scottish Drugs Forum, said, ‘It is vital that the issues which have impacted on parents and grandparents – and which have caused too many to seek oblivion through drugs – are not passed onto to their young people to create of a new generation of problem drug users.”
Read the report
The statistics are available in full on the Information Services Division (IDS) website.
Visit the IDS website to read a publication summary and the full report.
Unite to tackle stigma and end isolation
‘Drug addiction can affect any family at any time,’ says Sheila McKay, one of our board members and a founding member of Grampian Family Support Forum.
Yet stigma remains.
‘Family members feel isolated by feelings of shame, embarrassment, hopelessness and guilt, Sheila explains. ‘There is little doubt that the stigma attached to drug use acts as a barrier to families seeking support for themselves.’
Write to the media
The media can help end stigma
Sheila says, ‘The forum feels that the media play a huge role in stigmatising substance misusers and their families.
So the Grampian Family Support Forum, which is a collection of family support, kinship care and bereavement groups from across the Grampian region, decided to write to the Press to endorse positive news articles and express sadness at negative articles.
Clearly, the more groups and individuals who write to their local press regarding articles about drugs misuse, the more effective the campaign will be. ‘We believe that if other support groups throughout Scotland do the same, we will be more effective.’
Talk to professionals
As well as writing to the press, the Grampian Forum encourages people to let professionals, such as GPs, know when their words or attitudes cause hurt or offence. ‘Stigma comes in many forms. Professionals can stigmatise without even realising it. Even the tone of your voice can lead to tears behind closed doors that you will never be aware of,’ says Sheila.
What can you do?
‘We realise that the war against stigma is too big for us to tackle alone,’ says Sheila ‘However, we hope that we can influence other family members throughout Scotland to unite and help us tackle this issue.
‘It is important that when a professional ‘wounds’ you with his words, you must make them aware of it, in a gentle manner, in order that they are aware and do not inflict pain on anyone else.’
If you write to your local paper or talk to a professional about how stigma has affected you, please let us know what you did and what response you got, so we can inspire others to take action as well. Together, we have more chance of breaking down barriers, ending isolation and tackling stigma.
Inspiration
These are just two examples of action taken by the Grampian Family Support Forum.
There was an article in the Sunday Post about a woman who had been prescribed an opiate blocker for lung cancer, and as a result was still alive years later having been told she had months to live. The article was entitled ‘Junkie’ drug. Sheila wrote to the editor, introduced the Forum and asked for an explanation as to why he felt it necessary to use such terminology. She says, ‘ I didn’t only get a reply, I got an apology and a promise that he would be more careful in future.’
There was an article in the Evening Express about a community project in Aberdeen involving recovering addicts. One of the members of the Grampian Family Support Forum wrote in to congratulate the project manager and the recovering addicts on the success of the project. Sheila further endorsed this by writing in on behalf of the Forum.
