The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
End stigma of substance misuse plea
People working with those battling drink and drugs problems have called for an end to stigma as they try to stem a growing crisis in Fife.
Deaths from substance misuse in the region have been rising year on year, particularly among women.
Newly released figures show Fife is one of the only areas in Scotland where alcohol-related deaths increased between 2018 and 2019 – up 18% from 59 to 70.
Meanwhile, the number of people who died due to drug use during the same period rose from 64 to 81 – a 20% spike.
The figures show 71,000 adults in Fife drink more than the recommended safe amount of 14 units per week.
This represents a third of men and 15% of women.
Fife Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) cocoordinator Elizabeth Butters said deaths among women were accelerating at a much faster rate than among men.
She revealed a 93% increase in women’s deaths, while the rate among men remains steady.
An ambitious programme of work is now being set out in a bid to reverse the trend and people with lived experience of the issue will be asked to get involved.
Trauma and deprivation appear to be at the heart of the problem and effective support is vital, said Ms Butters.
“One of our third sector services has been doing some independent research,” she said.
“They have found that between appointment one and appointment two, a large percentage of people not turning up are women.
“We’re thinking about a gender-based approach for women because they are stigmatised differently and the universal approach isn’t working.”
She added that stigma still surrounds alcohol and drug use generally.
“We’re trying to look at trauma-based approaches because if we recognise trauma it may change stigma and internalised shame,” she said.
The Scottish Government has given the ADP £90,000 to help with recovery.
“We’re hoping that will help make a difference in getting people to shift attitudes,” Ms Butters said.
Fife Council’s SNP coleader David Alexander said many people simply do not care about those struggling with drug and alcohol use.
“There are people who feel it’s self-inflicted and we’re wasting our money,” he said.
“We need a massive change in attitude because behind these figures is somebody’s son, daughter, brother, sister, mother.”
Fife ADP chairwoman Kathy Henwood said support services genuinely want to see people affected by alcohol and drug issues get well and achieve their potential.
“However, this is not always easy to achieve and there are still very significant challenges which face us,” she said.
Covid-19 prevalence is still too high to accelerate the easing of lockdown, Jeane Freeman has said.
Yesterday, Scotland recorded a coronavirus test positivity rate of 3.3%, the third day in a row it has been below 4% and the fourth day below 5% – the marker set by the World Health Organisation for the pandemic to be “under control”.
The number of people being treated in hospital also fell to its lowest number since October 21, at 924.
But the health secretary warned such data does not mean Scotland can move quicker than planned out of lockdown.
In First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s roadmap for easing the Boxing Day-imposed lockdown, the remainder of primary school pupils and more secondary students will not be able to return to class until at least March 15.
All pupils are then not due back before April 5, when the stay at home order will be lifted.
Changes will be made at minimum intervals of three weeks, with Scotland then returning to the regional levels approach taken last autumn in the last week in April.
Despite the low numbers recorded in recent days, the health secretary told the coronavirus briefing yesterday that there will not be an acceleration of the first part of the plan.
“The three-week period is really important,” she said.
“We didn’t pick three weeks randomly out of the air, we went on the basis of clinical advice that said you need to give it a reasonable period of time to be sure that progress isn’t just being made but is being sustained.”