Government pledge further £36m to tackle alcohol misuse

Many more Scots will receive help to tackle their harmful drinking habits this year, as a result of Scottish Government funding to tackle alcohol misuse.

Scotland’s health boards will share £36 million to implement a range of measures designed to help people address their excessive drinking.

The services offered in each area will be determined by local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in line with local needs.

However, all areas will prioritise alcohol brief interventions which are designed to help people reflect on and address their drinking before it causes lasting health damage.

Brief interventions are used when someone visits their GP or hospital and screening suggests that alcohol may be a factor in their ill-health. They typically take the form of short motivational interviews, in which drinking habits are discussed, along with information about health risks.

Significant investment will also be made in maintaining and developing prevention, treatment and support services.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

“It’s vital that we tackle Scotland’s drinking culture – too many people are drinking too much, too often and although they may not realise it it’s having a detrimental effect on their health.

“This funding will allow boards to continue their work to help people address their drinking before they cause lasting health damage.

“Brief interventions are a key part of our strategy and they’re not only clinically effective but also cost effective. By intervening early, we can maximise resources and – more importantly – save lives.

“The cost of excessive drinking is too high – both in financial and health terms – which is why it’s so important that we invest this money now in a healthy future for Scotland.”

Alcohol brief interventions were introduced in Scotland in 2008-09 as part of a screening programme for alcohol problems.

Earlier this year, the use of alcohol brief interventions was recommended in the House of Commons’ Health Select Committee report. The report said there was very strong evidence to show they can lead to a reduction in alcohol consumption among harmful and hazardous drinkers. By supporting early interventions on alcohol misuse, the NHS may avoid or reduce the costs of later, more intensive and specialist support.

Local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), involving health boards, local authorities, the police and voluntary sector, are responsible for drawing up joint partnership-based strategies on tackling alcohol and drugs in their communities and making the investment decisions required to deliver on these.

The health board allocations for tackling alcohol misuse are as follows:

These figures are presented as NHS Board / Alcohol Misuse Allocation 2010-11 (pounds)

    * Ayrshire and Arran / £2,491,234
    * Borders / £984,252
    * Dumfries and Galloway / £1,224,617
    * Fife / £2,472,228
    * Forth Valley / £1,901,917
    * Grampian / £2,804,595
    * Greater Glasgow and Clyde / £9,058,674
    * Highland / £2,267,711
    * Lanarkshire / £3,435,439
    * Lothian / £5,310,519
    * Orkney / £416,789
    * Shetland / £433,753
    * Tayside / £2,699,833
    * Western Isles / £498,440

Total / £36,000,000