Priory Group offers helping hand
09/10/2009
In the wake of shocking new figures surrounding the level of drug abuse in Scotland, the Priory Hospital Glasgow, part of the Priory Group, the leading independent providers of mental health care in Europe, is offering a free initial assessment to explore a user's addiction in more detail to continue into treatment.
It is hoped that the scheme will encourage more addicts to seek help and rehabilitation. Nationally, about two per cent of Scots aged between 16 and 64 are addicted to some form of substance, but the figure in Glasgow is much higher at 3.27 per cent, according to a recent Scottish University report*.
A Government report released this week suggested that in 2006, 363,323 Scots were using cannabis, 115,541 people used cocaine, 50,077 people were taking heroin, 15,697 were hooked on crack cocaine and 93,790 were illegally using tranquilisers such as diazepam and temazepam.
During that year the NHS paid £92 million to keep the users in hospital while the cost of drugs to the justice system was put at £610.4 million.
The Priory Group is warning dependency on drugs can lead to significant mental health problems as well as physical health issues.
Dr Alex Yellowlees, Medical Director and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital Glasgow and the Priory Edinburgh Consulting Rooms, said: "Drug dependency has a wide ranging negative effect on the human body. As well as being mentally dependent on a substance, a user can suffer physical damage to major organs, not only their liver, as is widely understood but also particularly their brain, if they continue with the use of harmful substances.
"A user who has continued use of harmful substances can suffer severe memory loss, paranoia, confusion and depression all these can be the results of significant brain damage.
"Drug use costs the taxpayer a vast sum of money every year dealing with the social problems caused by drug use. This includes the burden placed on the health service and the criminal justice system as well as the loss of a productive member of society. We believe this can be addressed through successful drug rehabilitation programmes, such as the ones offered by the Priory Group. The last thing we want to see is a 'lost generation' of Scots.
"The free assessment assesses the patient's need for treatment and the type of programme that could be beneficial to them. Experienced consultants and therapists offer individualised treatment options and advice, ensuring the highest quality care is available, to suit every circumstance."
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