Drink and drug problems soar
Friday 12th June 2009, 3:00PM BST.
Michael Gafoor: Drugs and alcohol cases are linked to recession.
THE number of people seeking help for drug and alcohol problems in Jersey has doubled since the economic downturn.
The director of the Alcohol and Drugs Service, Michael Gafoor, is concerned that fears over finances, redundancies and the recession are making more people hit the bottle and turn to drugs.
The confidential free service, which helps people experiencing problems with substance misuse, has had to deal with 100 more clients compared with this time last year.
Mr Gafoor said: ‘I believe there is an association between more people being increasingly stressed and worried about jobs, money, and their future and the fact that more people are turning to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate against their anxieties.’
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So long as we keep treating the user as a victim the more it will be seen as an easy way out.
It was their choice to take the drugs, they made their own beds they should lie in them, even if that bed is the gutter. At least then they would be doing us all a favour by being an advert not to take drugs
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Not very surprising really,like the dot com boom house prices were allowed to spiral up and up far beyond the scale of earnings of the average family, which has had the knock on effect of pushing up the cost of living all round, the average person needs a hefty income just to stand still in Jersey never mind save anything,the gap between the haves and have nots is widening alarmingly,those who have often do not care so long as they are alright ,we watch speculators make fortunes and deface and defile our homeland building out of character garbage and trashing the landscape ,the overall effect of this indifference is Joe Bloggs begins to lose his Totems,things he has held dearly and if you will holy, feeling powerless and frustrated he self medicates on booze,just a few to take the hard edge off….and the slippery slope beckons,look at all the indigenous people whose lifestyle and beliefs were trashed by the unthinking uncaring greed merchants,Eskimos, red indians, aboriginals all wasted by addiction,ie: their insides just gave up….need I go on…we are reaping what we have allowed to be sown, a return to ethics and values and to hell with the speculators, we are a community and the fracture needs to be healed and sanity returned..we have the power…now is our hour.
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I am surprised Mr Gafoor, as a professional man, that you blame the present economic/jobs climate on an increase in alcohol and drug related problems.
You know as well as I do that heavy drinking and drug and alcohol addiction are two very different matters, and the blame for addiction cannot be laid at any one particular door.
I cannot honestly believe that people out of work say ‘hey ho’ lets get out of it, or have a fix. No, Jersey has always had an alcohol problem and only in the last few years have recognised the drug problems as well.
There are many things that people that are at a loss can fill their time doing such as voluntary work. Admitted, no financial reward, but satisfaction gained, rather than propping up a bar.
Silkworth Lodge, the rehabilitation centre were looking for a volunteer. Their aim is not just harm reduction but total abstainance, which has to be the ultimate outcome of any A & D related issues.
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Well at least the number seeking help has risen, and not JUST the number having these problems.
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I think that in the majority of the above cases it has been all too easy to assume that those in need are poverty stricken. It is very easy when referring to Island problems to use old issues, “have and have nots”. A great many people with drinking and drug taking problems would fall squarely in the “have” bracket. Also, there are cultural differences in Jersey that mean there are certain groups who have, for ewant of a better term, a tradition of using particualr substances. Let’s not immediatell assume we understand, and can therefore judge. The reasons a person succumbs to an addiction are hugely varied and personal.
PJG – I trust that should you ever fall into this problem you hope to be treated as you advocate?
Truthseeker – how about a full stop for Christmas? That’s one LONG sentence!
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Well said truthseeker.Jersey can be a pretty soul destroying place to live when you are on the lowest end of the social divide.I’m afraid it’s all too easy to condemn without ever having been in the situation ourselves.
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Is it not the case that because they may have lost their jobs or have streched budgets, that they have know decided to address their addictions because they can no longer financially afford it. When you hit rock bottom then you seek help! Before this you are in denile. Jersey has had a drink problem for decades, people have a lot of spare time because commute home is 10-20 minutes and enjoy socialising down the pub or the park that seems a favorite spot for some.
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Why are people into drink and drugs? My answer is it is to do with economics and a sense of achievement and with no future what do you expect?
I therefore blame the state for not making the standard of living and quality of life better. Give people little hope of a future and you will get problems. People are struggling over here, GST has been another kick in the teeth for those on a knife edge. Make it even worse and you will get more people who choose to switch off and prefer to be in an alterantive reality as they hate this one so much.
It is interesting to see that some blame those with problems and don’t bother to look behind the causes, which may not make those running the show look good. It is easy to lock people up, it is much harder to sort out the underlying causes.
Anyone could end up in that situation due to bad luck or circumstances conspiring against them. It is therefore wise not to judge them least you end up there yourself, or a member of your family! Then I’m sure your attitude would be different.
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Err, perhaps the increase problem is that the these people with dependancy issues could afford to pay for their drug/s of choice. If they have lost their job then they can’t and thus seek help.
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Sorry, this has nothing to do with the recession – many young people from very wealthy homes take drugs and many well off people drink too much.
Drinking has always been a Jersey problem, it used to be very cheap and drugs are a problem all over the UK.
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