Alcohol, Smoking and Addiction Services

Change Grow Live (CGL) North West Recovery Service offers advice, guidance, and support for all types of drug and alcohol misuse issues. CGL offers tailored one-to-one support, recovery planning, group work, access to harm reduction information and more.

You can contact the service on 0131 469 5044 or email rab.smith@cgl.org.uk or click on the adjacent logo for more information.

Craigroyston Heath Centre, 18 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh, EH4 4PH

They also have a DROP-IN service open mon, wed, friday (10-3pm)

Alcohol Issues

Tips To Reduce Alcohol Consumption / Cutting Down

If you drink regularly it is important that you do not stop drinking immediately or as they say, 'go cold turkey' as this can lead to alcohol withdrawal. In some severe cases, it can be life threatening or cause prolonged seizures and permanent brain damage.

It is recommended you cut down slowly, reducing by a few units a week. Most people do not do this alone and receive support and help along the way, a good place to start would be contacting your GP or having a look at the resources on this page. Keeping a drinking diary may also be useful to track your progress. See the Link below to SHAAP who give excellent advice how to successfully detox from alcohol.

Tips on safer drinking when out:
• make a plan / limit before going out about how much you plan to drink
• Drink more slowly
• Drink with food
• Swap stronger drinks for weaker ones (lower ABV in %)
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks
• Avoid ‘buying rounds’ as you tend to drink more
• Try to avoid social situations where drinking is the main activity
• Let your friends and family know you are cutting down

Recommended Alcohol Guidelines

Alcohol is a toxic chemical that can have serious health side effects if consumed over the recommended amount, these include: increasing your risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease, liver disease, damage to your nerves, pancreatitis, mental health issues, affecting your mood and even affecting how well you sleep.

These risks increase if you frequently binge drink (drink lots of alcohol in a single occasion). Binge drinking can lead to accidents resulting in injury or death due to the loss of inhibitions and increased risk taking behaviour when intoxicated.

Death and disability caused by alcohol is more than twice as high amongst men than women in Scotland (2018).

There is no ‘safe’ amount of alcohol consumed however NHS Scotland recommends for both men and women drinking no more than 14 units a week and spreading this over 3 or more days with several ‘drink free’ days, to avoid binge drinking. This is considered ‘low-risk drinking’.

If you’re not sure how much your drinking, you can calculate your weekly units in the above link.

Alcohol Support Online

LEAP

LEAP (Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Project) offers residential rehabilitation treatment and post-care support for those with substance dependence use who want to achieve a substance-free recovery.

The programme runs for 3 months that includes a variety of groupwork, presentations, workshops, education and training activities. Detoxification for modest amounts of drug and alcohol can also be done.

Post care support can also go on for up to 2 years after finishing the programme.

For further information, please telephone on 0131 446 4400 or email at: leap.programme@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Please note, the LEAP service requires referral from a health professional. If you would like to be referred to this service, please contact our own GP, Dr Steve Allan.

Crossreach Sunflower Garden Project

https://www.crossreach.org.uk/our-locations/sunflower-garden

Tel: 0131 220 2488

E-mail: SunflowerGardenProject@crossreach.org.uk

Family Outreach Service:
Sunflower Garden works in partnership with Circle Harbour Project to provide support across the city for families affected by drug and alcohol use.

As part of this service, Sunflower Garden provides 1:1 therapeutic support to children and young people on an outreach basis, usually in school. This support is varied and can be tailored to meet the individual needs of the child. To make a referral please contact us directly or, alternatively, contact the Family Outreach Worker for your area:

South East – 07921 700539
North East - 07703714761
North West - 07903248740
South West – 07903822059

Individual Counselling and Art therapy
Children and young people can receive support through our counselling service based in Simpson House, Queen Street. Counselling is open ended and offered weekly by our team of committed counselling staff and volunteers. There is a few months’ waiting time, but CYP can access therapeutic groups while waiting.

Group work for children affected by parental alcohol use
This group helps children and young people express their feelings and to make sense of their situations. It helps them understand more about alcohol use and to build relationships with other people who have similar experiences.

Smoking Cessation Support

There are two main routes to access smoking cessation support.

1: Local Pharmacy Support - Many pharmacy offer smoking cessation support (small charge for the service)

2: Quit Your Way Services (Free- NHS Lothian)

Quit Your Way Services deliver free stop smoking support and are provided by specialist practitioners at Pennywell All Care Centre, Edinburgh, EH4 4UA.

Sessions are very informal, and our friendly practitioners will discuss the products that can help you quit. Support usually last for 12 weeks or until you have finished any stop smoking medication and feeling confident staying quit.

Services offered include:

Drop In clinics
Group Rolling Support
One to One Support
Smoking in Pregnancy
Telephone Support
Youth Services

On your first appointment your advisor will discuss your smoking habits and talk about what options will work best for you. They can tailor your quit plan to include free Nicotine Replacement Therapy, NRT (if appropriate) and useful coping strategies.

From then on, you'll have weekly support sessions where your advisor will check on your progress, provide encouragement, advise you on next steps and help motivate you to quit and stay quit.

Please contact NHS Lothian Quit Your Way. 0131 286 5113 or fill in online form Request a service to contact you | NHS inform