Alcohol and Drugs Recovery Service
Our aim is to assess the needs of and support adults experiencing alcohol or drug problems. We are a multi-disciplinary team including nurses, social workers and addiction workers, medics, psychiatry, psychology and occupational therapy.
Service hours
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
We have clinics in Kirkintilloch, Milngavie and Lennoxtown (Milngavie and Lennoxtown by appointment only).
You can self-refer by telephone, or through the referral form.
You can also request a referral by your GP or another professional.
Home visits and evening appointments are available after assessment if required.
You will be offered an individual appointment of about an hour to assess your needs and agree a care plan.
You are welcome to bring a friend or family member to your initial assessment appointment.
As we are an integrated team, we record your information on both health and social work information systems. You can find a copy of the privacy notice on the website (or request a copy). A recovery care plan will be agreed with you.
After assessment you will be allocated a worker to progress your care and treatment plan, where the following services may be available to you if appropriate.
Services available
- Alcohol and drugs assessment
- Mental and/or physical health assessment
- Home alcohol detoxification
- Medication Assisted Treatment
- Alcohol care and treatment
- Harm reduction services (naloxone, needle replacement)
- Referral to hospital-based alcohol and drugs services
- Psycho-social interventions
- Assertive outreach services
- Support with social care issues
- Support to vulnerable adults
- Access to community recovery groups
- Specialist assessment and support for pregnant women and parents with children.
Children can also be affected by parent or carer alcohol and drug use. We have a duty to enquire about children who you have caring responsibilities for. We can discuss this fully with you at your initial appointment.
Your family can contact Scottish Families Affected or Glasgow Council on Alcohol for individual and group support.
Who can be supplied with take-home naloxone?
Anyone in East Dunbartonshire who is aged 16 and over, including:
- Person at risk of opioid overdose
- Carer, friend or family member of a service user at risk Any individual working in an environment where there is a risk of overdose for which the naloxone may be useful
- Anyone with an expired naloxone kit.
How to use the naloxone postal service
You can order postal naloxone online from by using the Postal Naloxone Service Application link below.
You will also need to complete a free Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) e-learning course or contact 0141 232 8211 to access local training (if available).
Please use this form to apply for the Postal Naloxone Service.
Contact information
Kirkintilloch Health and Care Centre
10 Saramago Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 3BF
Tel: 0141 232 8211
Hours of Service: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
If you need help within office hours, you can contact us on the number above. Out-with these times and in a non-emergency, please contact NHS 24 on 111.
If you have a life threatening emergency, then call 999.
Accessing the ADRS service
If you or someone you care about is struggling with the impact of drugs or alcohol then we're here to help. Making a referral to the East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service is simple and straightforward.
Whether you are ready to start the journey towards recovery yourself, are a family member, partner or friend of someone who has a problem, or a professional wishing to make a referral you can now use our online referral forms.
If you do not wish to use the online referral form you can still self-refer to ADRS by calling 0141 232 8211, or ask your GP or social worker to refer you.
Please use this form to submit a referral to the East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service.
Drinking guidelines
The UK Chief Medical Officers published guidelines in 2016 for both men and women which are:
- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it’s safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
- If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it's best to spread your drinking over three or more days. If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risk of death from long-term illness and from accidents and injuries
- The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast increases the more you drink on a regular basis
- If you wish to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days every week
- If you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.
Low risk drinking guide
Men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units per week.
14 Units is the equivalent of:
- Six pints of beer (4% abv,568ml) or
- Six glasses of wine (13% abv, 175ml) or
- Seven double measures of spirits (40% abv, 50ml).
It is recommended that you spread your drinking over at least three days to keep the risks from alcohol low.
If you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all.
Visit Count14 for information on what a unit is, calculating units and tips to reduce your drinking.
Where to go for help
Alcohol and Drugs Recovery Service (ADRS)aims to improve the lives of people with alcohol and drugs problems in East Dunbartonshire. Read the ADRS section for more information, how to access the service and how to access naloxone.
Glasgow Council of Alcohol (GCA) offer individual, free and confidential counselling for people in East Dunbartonshire experiencing alcohol-related difficulties and those affected by someone else’s alcohol issue. Select the link for more information and how to access the service.
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs provides support, information and advice to anyone in Scotland concerned about someone else's alcohol or drug use.
With You provide free, confidential support on alcohol and drugs online and services for families and young people in East Dunbartonshire.
Know the Score provides facts about drugs as well as being able to offer free, confidential information and advice on the phone; on webchat and by email.
Crew provides non-judgemental and up to date information and support to help people make positive choices about their drug use and sexual health.
FRANK provides information on drugs as well as confidential information, advice and support for anyone concerned about alcohol and illegal drugs on the phone, via text, on webchat and by email.
Recognising problem drinking
Find out how to spot a problem with alcohol and what you can do about it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The costs of problem drinking
Spending too much on alcohol causes financial problems for some, but if we drink too much there can be other costs to pay–in our careers, in our relationships and with our health.
Problem drinking means drinking more than the sensible drinking guidelines on a regular basis. Some people drink lots and appear to
be fine. In truth, they won’t be able to avoid problems with their health and other areas of their lives in the long term.
Sensible Drinking Guidelines
- Female 2-3 units daily
- Male 3-4 units daily.
Women shouldn’t regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day and men no more than 3-4. Aim to have at least two alcohol-free days a week. Avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive.
A unit equals 10ml of pure alcohol. That’s the amount an adult body can safely get rid of in an hour. Remember, the number of units in a drink vary depending on size and alcohol content (% ABV).
Single measure spirt
- 1 unit ABV 49% 25ml.
Alcopop
- 1.4 units Abv 5% 275ml.
Standard glass of win
- 2.1 units ABV 12% 175ml.
Pint of Lager
- 2.8 units ABV 5% 568ml.
Bottle of cider
- 1.4 units ABV 5% 275ml.
Sensible drinking guidelines
- Females 2-3 units daily
- Males 3-4 units daily.
Drink - it adds up to more than you think.
Aim to have at least two alcohol free days a week.
Many people learn how to cover up their alcohol problems. These problems aren’t always visible to others, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we can spot the signs:
- Not being able to socialise without a drink
- Struggling at work or in education because
of hangovers - Having to take ‘sickies’ to recover
- Poor concentration
- Spending lots on alcohol
- Arguing with family or friends
- Feeling irritable without a drink
- Becoming defensive or angry when drinking
habits are discussed or challenged - Feeling we need to hide some or all of our
drinking from others - Drinking to get going in the morning (including
‘hair of the dog’) - Getting into fights or trouble with the police
- Waking up with unexplained injuries or bruises
- Drink driving
- Drinking to get drunk.
Never feel you’re alone - 49% of men and 38% of women regularly exceed daily and/or weekly limits in a typical week. Hundreds of thousands of people – friends, family members and co-workers – are negatively affected by someone else’s drinking.
Many people recover from alcohol problems. The first step is to admit that there is a problem. This can be difficult but there are services throughout Scotland which can help. Some of their staff will have
overcome similar problems themselves
If you can, cut down and stick to the sensible drinking guidelines. It can be hard to know exactly how much we’re drinking so consider keeping a drinking diary
Cutting down benefits health, reduces stress, improves sleep, promotes weight loss and can help lift feelings of depression and anxiety.
Dependence makes it harder to change your habits. Family doctors can refer people to local services which can help. There are also many groups and projects which can give extra support to the person, their family, friends and colleagues.
The reasons why we get into difficulties with alcohol are complex
and are often bound up with our feelings about ourselves and our place in the world. Exploring and becoming more aware of our feelings and attitudes is an important part of resolving problems.
If you’re concerned about your drinking visit your GP or go to our alcohol website for details of services, supports and other useful websites and resources.
Call Drinkline free on 0800 7 314 314 at any time.
Further information
For more tips and information about alcohol, visit the Scottish government website.
Medication assisted treatment standards (MAT)
Medication Assisted Treatment Standards are 10 evidence-based standards to enable the consistent delivery of safe, accessible, high-quality drug treatment across Scotland. These are relevant to people and families accessing or in need of services, and health and social care staff responsible for delivery of recovery-oriented systems of care.
East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service (ADRS) and other ADP partners are working together to implement the 10 MAT Standards. As part of this implementation, each ADP has been asked to develop an implementation plan which you can download under documents.
Residential rehabilitation
East Dunbartonshire's Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) and Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service (ADRS) are committed to increasing the number of funded placements for residential rehabilitation. A new local referral pathway for residential rehabilitation has been developed to ensure accessing rehab is easier and individuals are fully informed in their choice.
Residential rehabilitation programmes can vary between services, but ultimately they provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities over a fixed period of time. Individuals must attend these sessions/activities to work towards an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle, and to be re-integrated into the community.
To be considered for residential rehabilitation you must already be accessing a statutory service such as ADRS or be the subject of a referral to ADRS (this can be via a self-referral or a referral by third sector commissioned services, Justice, Housing, etc) as a full assessment is needed - including whether a detox prior to rehab is required.
The residential rehab pathway shows the process from initial discussion and assessment, through to accessing a placement and then next steps. To be eligible to access residential rehab in East Dunbartonshire you must meet the criteria below.
Eligibility criteria to access residential rehabilitation:
- Must be a permanent resident of East Dunbartonshire
- Must already access ADRS services or be the subject of a referral made to ADRS
- Aged 18+ (16+ in exceptional circumstances)
- You must be assessed by ADRS as being dependent on drug or alcohol use, which puts you at increased risk of drug or alcohol-related harm or death
- You must show a willingness/readiness to change and a commitment to do the work required
- You must make a commitment to engage in the structured and intense programme of preparatory work before detoxification, before your placement in residential rehabilitation
- You must be able to engage with services after returning to the community - these can be treatment or recovery services
- You must be motivated to achieve abstinence and be prepared to continue on your exit from rehab.
The ADP and ADRS are keen that any barriers are addressed and this pathway will continue to develop, based on any national or local changes and comments. If you wish to comment on the pathway or need further information, please email EastDunbartonshireADP@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Are our kids suffering from our hangovers?
Harmful drinking in Scotland
Alcohol today is more affordable, more available and more heavily marketed than at any time during the past 30 years.
The result is that as a nation, we are drinking too much.
The more we drink, the more the health and social problems caused by alcohol increase.
Because drinking too much has become so common and acceptable, it’s easy to forget how much it might be affecting our kids.
Each week it is estimated that one in gtwo men and one in three women in Scotland drink more than is good for them, and over half of us say the place we drink most often is home.
Children can be affected by a parent’s drinking even if they aren’t getting drunk.
Is our drinking affecting our kids?
To think about whether your drinking might be affecting your kids, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:
- Do your hangovers affect your children?
- Do you ever break promises to take your children
out after you’ve been drinking because you just
can’t face it? - If an emergency situation arose at home, would
you be able to handle it if you had been drinking? - Would you be comfortable letting your babysitter
drink alcohol?
Every family is different, but children who live with someone who drinks too much often say they feel scared, confused, stressed and angry when their parents are drinking.
Teenagers also say they are concerned about adults around them who drink too much.
One in four say that a family event has been badly affected by an adult’s drinking and one in three say they have been worried about how much an adult they care about is drinking.
- One in three under 16s live with a parent who binge drinks
- One in three children feel scared when they see an adult drunk or drinking too much
- At least 65,000 children in Scotland live with a parent who has an alcohol problem – that’s two in every school class.
The simple step we can all take to keep our children healthy, happy and safe is to drink less.
We know from research that young people learn as much from seeing what their parents do as from listening to what they say.
Teenagers who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves.
It can be hard to reduce how much you are drinking, especially if you are going through a particularly stressful time.
But think about other ways of winding down like going for a walk or spending time with friends and family.
Try keeping drinking for special occasions when the kids are being looked after elsewhere.
Cutting down how much you drink can have a positive impact on your body, your life and those around you.
If you are concerned about how much you drink or are finding it hard to cope, then talk to someone.
The helplines and organisation on the next section can help.
For parents/adults
Alcohol Focus Scotland
Scotland’s national charity working to reduce the harm caused by alcohol.
Drinkline Scotland
If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s problem drinking. Call free on: 0800 7 314 314 (open 24 hours, seven days a week)
ParentLine Scotland
Provides help, support and information for anyone who cares for a child.
Call free on: 0800 028 2233 or contact the confidential email service parentlinescotland@children1st.org.uk
NHS Inform
Provides a single source of quality assured health information for the public in Scotland.
Relationships Scotland
Offers relationship counselling, family mediation and other forms of family support. Call: 0845 119 2020
For children/young people
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24-hour service for any child or young person, available 365 days a year.
0800 1111
Young Carers.net
Offers information and support to young people who care for a parent or relative who is ill or has other problems such as alcohol.
Young Scot
The national youth information agency for 11 to 26-year-olds.
East Dunbartonshire Recovery Life Café
The Recovery Café runs on the first Saturday of every month in the Kirkintilloch Baptist Church. It gives people in recovery and their families the chance to share a meal and enjoy entertainment in a safe, alcohol and substance free environment.
Alcohol and drugs assessment
Once we receive a referral, we will offer you an appointment within three weeks to assess your needs and agree a recovery plan. You are welcome to bring a friend or family member to your assessment appointment.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy can help people to set goals and take part in things they want and need to do. They can look at risks that cause accidents or falls while doing tasks. They can teach new ways to do activities affected by memory troubles. And they can help people to cope better with anxiety or mood problems that may get in the way with enjoying life.
Blood Borne Virus (BBV) testing and treatment drop-in service
Testing, treatment options, info and more are available at Blood Borne Virus (BBV) drop-in sessions, organised by East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Recovery Service (ADRS):
- Kirkintilloch Health and Care Centre (KHCC)
Tuesdays: 9am-noon
KHCC, 10 Saramago Street, Kirkintilloch, G66 3BF - Dunbartonshire Recovery Café (Kirkintilloch)
Tuesdays: 2-4pm
Kirkintilloch Hillhead Parish Church, 2 Rosebank Avenue, Kirkintilloch, G66 2PR
Services available:
- Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST) – 10-minute finger-prick test
- Venous Blood Testing (VBT) – blood sample if finger prick not suitable
- Free yearly test with results available in two weeks
- Treatment options - Twinrix*
- Signposting for PrEP** and PEP*** (available through the Sandyford clinic)
- Information and signposting for the ADRS Harm Reduction Service, wider services and any relevant third sector services.
Please drop in during the times above or call the BBV Lead Nurse on 07866 957506.
Keep an eye on this webpage for time changes or additional sessions.
* Twinrix is a vaccine that protects against both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B infections
** PrEP is an HIV medication to be taken before you may be exposed to HIV
*** PEP is an HIV medication to be taken after you may be exposed to HIV
Useful contacts
Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87
Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90
NHS24: 111
Know the Score: 0800 587 5879
Talk to Frank: 0300 123 6600
AA: 08457697555
Useful links
East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP)
The East Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) is a multi-agency forum tasked by the Scottish Government to coordinate alcohol and drug services through partnership working. ADP membership includes East Dunbartonshire Health & Social Care Partnership, East Dunbartonshire Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), Police Scotland HMP Low Moss, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and representatives from the Recovery community.