The Scottish Association of Alcohol Action Teams and the Associations of Drug Action Teams have today joined together to form the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (SAADAT).
Tom Wood, current chair of Action on Alcohol and Drugs in Edinburgh, was appointed as the chair of SAADAT - the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams at the inaugural meeting of the new association today in Glasgow (17th May 2006). Two new vice chairs, Dr. Brian Kydd and Dr. Maggie Watts, were also appointed.
SAADAT is a merger of the former Scottish Association of Alcohol Action Teams and Scottish Association of Drug Action Teams and represents the twenty plus alcohol and drug action teams across Scotland. The new body will bring together local action teams throughout Scotland to drive forward changes and improvements for those with alcohol and drug problems. It also advises on policy development at both the local and national levels and is a unified voice on substance misuse issues.
Tom Wood said of his appointment It is a great honour to be appointed as the first Chair of SAADAT and I am delighted to accept this role. I believe Scotland has reached a critical point in how it tackles its alcohol and drug issues. Change is desperately needed if we are ever to stem the rise in binge drinking and drug use prevalent throughout our society. Clearly many of our current strategies have had mixed success and what we need is clear thinking and the courage to introduce policies and solutions that will make a genuine difference to the very complex problem of substance abuse.
With the national review of drug action teams due to take place later this year and with the new regulations for the Licensing Act coming out in the Autumn, my aim is to ensure that the views and experience of Scotlands Action Teams are used to inform policy, drive performance and help the government in Scotland achieve it goals.
Over the last five years, the number of alcohol related deaths has risen by 21% from 1694 to 2052 people. Male deaths exceed those of females by approximately 3 to 1 (males 1515 and females 537). The number of alcohol related deaths is now 1 in 40.
It was estimated that there were 51,582 individuals misusing opiates and benzodiazepines in 2003 (most recent figures), corresponding to 1.84% of the populations aged between 15 and 54. It is estimated that 18,737 people were injecting opiates and/or benzodiazepines in 2003, an estimate of just under 1% of the population. The overall prevalence of problem drug use has decreased slightly Scotland, although certain areas have shown significant increases.
Posted: 17th May 2006
