31st August 2006
I note in today’s newspapers that alcohol related deaths in several health board areas in Scotland have risen to record levels. For instance in Fife they have increased to 76 and in Lanarkshire 184. Across the country there have been a 20% rise in alcohol related deaths since 1999. These are Scottish Executive figures. There has also been a rise of 25% in fatalities involving heroin. It is interesting to reflect on the fact that national health referrals from Fife and Lanarkshire have dropped because of lack of funding from these health board areas. Could these reduced referrals and increased in deaths from these two areas be any way related? Obviously many patients who require residential care for their addictions are not getting it. We also read in the papers that the deaths from cocaine addiction have soared, this is the drug that everyone claimed was safe, and have jumped almost ten-fold in four years. Castle Craig has seen many more cocaine addicts being admitted to treatment however mainly from the Netherlands. We would like to get the message across that cocaine addiction is very treatable especially using the 12 step or Minnesota Model approach. All patients will be referred after treatment to cocaine anonymous.
We also read today, about the inappropriate way that Liberal Democrats covered up on their former leader’s alcoholism. This is a typical response we see throughout industry and institutions when members of organisations try to cover up for their sick colleagues. It is quite disgraceful that politicians weld so much power while addicted and when their judgment must be warped. This applies to all political parties. Addiction must be confronted at all times and “tough love” applies to politicians just as much as to doctors, lawyers and family members.
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Thursday, August 31
I note in today’s newspapers
by
Peter McCann
on Thu 31 Aug 2006 04:56 PM BST
Tuesday, August 29
Sentenced to death?
by
Peter McCann
on Tue 29 Aug 2006 02:59 PM BST
Wednesday August 2, 2006 The Guardian
Sentenced to death? A talented yet tortured young man killed himself in Strangeways prison's segregation unit. As a diagnosed schizophrenic, should he have even been there? Ed Vulliamy investigates http://society.guardian.co.uk/ crimeandpunishment/story/0,,1834847,00.html Tuesday, August 22
Horses used to help drug addicts
by
Peter McCann
on Tue 22 Aug 2006 03:01 PM BST
An innovative drug and alcohol programme using horses is being trialled at a hospital in the Borders.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/5293408.stm
Belfast’s “Sunday Life”
by
Peter McCann
on Tue 22 Aug 2006 08:04 AM BST
From Peter McCann
Belfast’s “Sunday Life” writes about teenage binge drinkers in Ulster being caught up in a deadly game of Russian Roulette – oblivious that they are risking a terrifying brain disease. They are referring to Korsakoffs psychosis and it is described as “a ticking time bomb” as young people are flooding clubs and pubs for bargain basement booze and happy hours. This is not just in Northern Ireland but across the whole UK and the Netherlands. Experts say that Korsakoffs is now beginning to emerge in people in their 30s and also appearing for the first time in women.
Korsakoffs can prove fatal for some for others it could mean a lifetime of care usually in inappropriate nursing homes, a lucky few can catch it in time and with total abstinence from alcohol and drugs can return to a somewhat normal life. What happens with Korsakoffs, well you lose your short term memory and you can suffer from disorientation and you develop an awkward gait. It must be ghastly remembering your youth but losing all knowledge of your life of recent years and even days.
Total abstinence is a must but the difficulty for some of these cases is that they cannot remember the danger that alcohol has for them and so if they are offered a drink they accept it.
Castle Craig is looking very seriously at helping patients with alcohol related brain damage and we hope before too long to have a specially designed package of treatment for these patients.
Monday, 21st August 2006 more »
Saturday, August 19
Two articles both from this weeks Sunday Times
by
Peter McCann
on Sat 19 Aug 2006 01:34 PM BST
From: Peter McCann, Chairman
Two articles both from this weeks Sunday Times came to my attention One quotes some figures from the office of National Statistics revealing a sharp increase in the number of alcohol related deaths in the UK with 8,380 deaths reported in 2004 compared to 4,144 in 1991. The majority of these were due to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, but accidental alcohol poisoning, heart attacks and mental and behaviour orders due to alcohol misuse where also responsible. So far so good or bad from whichever perspective you take it. A certain Professor Nutt, Professor of Psycho Pharmacology at Bristol University tells us that to solve this he has been researching ways of creating a drink made from a drug related to Valium - Yes Valium, can you believe it! Fortunately we get a bit sense from Katie Grant also in the Sunday Times but the Scottish edition. She lays into the Scottish Executives namely Lewis MacDonald, the Deputy Health Minister who reckons spending half a million pounds on a campaign telling drinkers to dodge their round of drinks when they are with their friends. Katie goes on to say that what those in power always fail to appreciate is that as a weapon of mass – behaviour change, government advertising does not work. They clutch at it, I suppose, because the advertisements they commission show the world they are doing something. She goes on that with alcohol abuse costing Scotland one billion pounds every year, she sympathises with this desire for action but just wonders if anybody has ever pointed that the definition of madness is when you carry on doing something that has already failed and some how expect this time you will get a different result. My quote “ sounds like alcoholic behaviour to me”.
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