Glasgow alcohol deaths shame as city leaders urged to demand more funding for treatments

Glasgow’s political leaders are being urged to write to the UK and Scottish Governments to ask for more funding to help tackle alcohol-related deaths.

During Thursday’s full council meeting the convenor for workforce and homelessness and addiction services, councillor Allan Casey, vowed that he would continue to fight for more money from both governments and asked every party leader to follow suit.

Mr Casey made this promise after Labour councillor Cecilia O’Lone asked what the administration was doing to help reduce alcohol-related deaths despite a lack of funding for the HSCP (health and social care partnership).

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Councillor Cecilia O’Lone said: “I do recognise that you do a lot to support people in these situations.

“But we do have a lack of funding and mental health is a particular issue at the moment and for people who suffer from addiction this will have a massive impact on them.

“I will call again for the Scottish Government and the Westminster Government to provide more money to our HSCP to be able to enhance our services.

“I know the IJB has written to both governments but I think our political leads across all parties should write to both governments to ask for additional funding.”

Councillor Allan Casey responded: “I think it is absolutely clear that all political parties and representatives do their utmost to try and get a better funding settlement and certainly that is the position that I and our administration lobby very very hard for both the UK and Scottish Government for as much funding as possible.

“We will continue to do that.”

The local authority’s ADP (alcohol and drug partnership) has already received funding from the Scottish Government.

Councillor Casey added: “It is my intention to address alcohol misuse clearly and include fuller information about the financial challenges the city is facing.

“The alcohol and drug recovery services provide alcohol treatment across alcohol city in addition to two incubation facilities which deliver intensive treatment for those who are at highest risk of alcohol related harms and death.

“Other interventions include a crisis outreach team introduced to the area in 2021, a primary care and alcohol service which was developed to address the needs of people suffering from alcohol abuse who are in contact with their GP and a range of alcohol specific programmes.

“This is of course in addition to the huge range of support Glasgow City HSCP has in place and both the ADP (alcohol and drug partnership) and HSCP will continue to monitor and review programmes directly in terms of promise and delivery.”

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