Drinkaware's response to the publication of Drug and alcohol services: An update

In response to new documentation published by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission titled Drug and alcohol services: An update Annabelle Bonus, Drinkaware's Director of Evidence and Impact said,

“The report from Audit Scotland demonstrates the deep issues caused by drug and alcohol-related problems in Scotland. There is a clear need for support for people however this need is not being met. As the report identifies, along with providing the appropriate alcohol advice and support, there needs to be a far greater focus on the root causes of drug and alcohol dependency along with tackling the wider determinant of ill health.

“Drinkaware’s research  has shown that, although some people drank less during the pandemic, many individuals drinking at a harmful level have continued to do so, or even begun drinking more. For adults who have been drinking more than they usually would have since the start of the pandemic and those who have not taken steps to reduce their drinking in this time, there is a real risk of harmful drinking habits becoming ingrained. Drinkaware welcomes the Scottish Government’s focus on alcohol harm, and we would welcome a further prominence of alcohol harm prevention strategies within public health policies as a step in mitigating the affect that the pandemic has had on the health of many individuals.”