Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

Around 100 people a week are getting help with problem drinking from Tayside Council on Alcohol but demand for the voluntary organisation’s services is set to rise as people who don’t realise they have a problem are identified in a new screening programme involving local GPs.

Gillian Ferguson, TCA’s adult services manager, said many people — particularly women — drank well over the recommended weekly amount of alcohol.

“A lot of people don’t consider they are drinking at levels that are harmful,” she said. “These levels are so low by most people’s standards. The recommended level for women is only 14 units a week — some bottles of wine are between 9 and 10 units.”

She said many people drank more than a bottle of wine in a session, but because they didn’t wake up in a gutter did not consider themselves problem drinkers.

“The biggest increase in drinking is middle-class, middle-aged women on wine,” she said.

She said many people, particularly those who drank at home, had no real idea how much they were drinking.

Health professionals have warned about the growing numbers of people with liver damage and other alcohol-related illness.

The Scottish Government and NHS Tayside have made clear that tackling harmful drinking at an early stage is a priority.

“It’s what they call anticipatory care,” said Ms Ferguson. “Women are particularly at risk from alcohol. Every organ of a woman’s body can be affected by alcohol far more than a man’s.”

She said the new programme would involve doctors taking the opportunity of a patient visit to raise the issue of alcohol consumption.

NHS Tayside is making a substantial investment in the new programme but is also backing increased funding for TCA in recognition that it’s workload will increase as more problem drinkers are identified.

TCA has a team of 26 volunteer counsellors.

In Dundee there are also two part-time paid counsellors who each work 12 hours a week. Extra funding will be used to boost the number of paid counsellors and increase the number of appointments available each week.

“The GPs will referring people who want more in-depth support, and that will be a lot of people,” Ms Ferguson said.

“We have a really good chance (through the new programme) of reducing everybody’s alcohol intake.”

TCA is currently looking at closer involvement with GP surgeries and is already offering services in some.

“We will be looking for the best place to benefit people, whether in general practice or by offering discreet services elsewhere.”

Evening Telegraph