We speak to Claire and Jess from Routes (our young person's support service in East and West Dunbartonshire) and we talk all about our report 'If It Wasn't For Routes' which looks at the service over the last three years, what's come out of it, the research and findings, and all those sorts of things! We've also got some lovely messages at the end from some of the young people from Routes so make sure to listen out for them.

'There are no words to describe how it feels to have a young person trust you; someone who has been through so much and who doesn't necessarily trust many of the professionals in their life, because they've been through so much, but when that young person finally turns to you and says, 'Okay, yes. I'll go out with you.' Or, 'Actually, yes, I'd like you to help me with that.' Or when they come solely for your help, there are no words to describe how that feels. It's truly amazing to know that you're making a difference on such a deep level. It's fantastic.'

You can read the Routes report here - https://www.sfad.org.uk/content/uploads/2023/01/Routes-Report-2022.pdf

Transcripts are also available here - https://www.sfad.org.uk/life-with-alcohol-and-drugs-podcast

Daryl, our Inverclyde Family Support Development Officer here at Scottish Families, is joined by Agnes, a family member who attends our Inverclyde service.

They chat about Agnes' personal experiences with attending the support group, and her experience being a family member affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use.

'...it was so overwhelming to feel the strength of the people in that group. And even though yourself, Daryl, or Candice just chaired it, the minute you sat down it was like offloading, you're like emotional hoovers, it was offloading the stress, and you could feel that in the room. It was a really good feeling and they made me very welcome.'

We are here to support you if you are concerned about someone else's alcohol or other drug use. We can chat, offer listening support and information, and link you either into our own services or services local to you. Contact our helpline on 0808 0101011. Email is: helpline@sfad.org.uk. Or you can use the webchat on our website, at www.sfad.org.uk.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

We are joined with Rebecca McColl, the Policy and Research Assistant here at Scottish Families, who chats about the Scottish Families Alcohol Action Group’s first report ‘It’s Everywhere’.

The Group designed a survey to get a better idea of how widely spread alcohol messages are in our homes, communities, online spaces, and other parts of everyday life. The survey was open for views in January/February 2021 and then again in September/October 2021. The report compares the findings and shares them to raise awareness and contribute towards creating positive actions that will reduce alcohol harm in Scotland.

In the first survey alone, 35 people noted over 350 references to alcohol – a major stat!

“The message that alcohol is normal and part of the fabric of daily life is harsh considering the level of harm it causes.”

You can read the report here.

You can also check out the group’s latest activities on their Twitter feed @alcsfad.