Friday 12th March 2010
Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Community Safety, will visit West Dunbartonshire on Monday 15 March to meet members of West Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership group.
Mr Ewing will arrive at the Joint Hospital, Cardross Road at 1.00pm where he will be met by Keith Redpath, Director of West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnership and Chair of West Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP), local Councillors and Anne Ritchie, Interim Director of Social Work and Health.
A private meeting will be held with members of ADP to discuss how members will work in partnership to deliver the Scottish Government’s priorities in relation to reducing drug and alcohol problems across Scotland and West Dunbartonshire.
Mr Ewing will meet service users of the ADP and also members of staff who provide the support to current service users and their families. The Minister will also hear of the services currently available within West Dunbartonshire.
Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety, said:
“I am keen to see the progress West Dunbartonshire ADP have made in their first few months. We now have the right drugs strategy, right framework and record levels of funding in place but we all need to work together to achieve the results to improve the lives of people affected by drug and alcohol misuse.
“Research suggests that illicit drug use is currently costing Scottish society nearly £3.5 billion per annum. Treatment is cost-effective: for every £1 spent on treatment, up to £9.50 is saved in crime and costs to the criminal justice system.
“The Scottish Government are providing £28.6 million to Health Boards for frontline drug services in 2010-11, this represents an increase of over 20% since 2006-07.
“However, local people are best placed to understand the needs of their own community and I am looking forward to hearing West Dunbartonshire ADP’s strategy for helping people on their road to recovery.
“Working in partnership with ADPs and Cosla, the Scottish Government are determined to deliver real benefits for people suffering from drug and alcohol misuse.”
Councillor Jonathan McColl, Convenor of Social Work and Health said: “This visit will allow us to highlight to the Minister the excellent work and good practice currently available in West Dunbartonshire.
Cllr McColl continued: “Drug misuse affects not only the individual and their families, but also communities as a whole. In West Dunbartonshire we take a holistic, proactive approach to dealing with drug and alcohol misuse and we have a wide range of programmes, recognised nationally as good practice, that support people out of addictions.”
Mr Ewing will end his day by visiting Leven Addiction Services where he will meet medical, nursing and social care staff and hear about the services offered.
Addiction Services would encourage people to use their out of hours helpline, HEAR on 0141 952 8815.
