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This page lists a selection of organisations which provide expert health, advice and support in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The List gratefully acknowledges the support of the Scottish Executive in funding this page.
Alcohol and Narcotics
Glasgow
Alcoholics Anonymous
50 Wellington Street. 220 22 I4
.\lon l'l'l ‘lain 5pm. 0845 70‘) 7555 12-1 hotlrl. (iroup support to help tackle alcoholmn.
Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol 32 Dumbarton Road. ('lydebank. 052 03M. ()fl'erx general mlorniation and ady ice including one- to one counselling lor young people. Glasgow City Council Addiction Partnership \y \y \\.f_'ltt\go\\.go\.tlk. A range of city ~yyide xery ices. including \pecilic support lot' young people inyolyed in drug and alcohol u\e. Glasgow Council on Alcohol
l\l l'iloot'. lit‘hlol and West llottxe. 82 l‘nion Street. 220 3883. Information. atly ice. otle-lo-otte coumelling and training for lltoxe affected by alcohol. RCA Trust Mirren llouxe. Hack Sneddon Street. I’aixley. 337 0330. Project giying l2 25-year-oldx adyice on addiction l\\tlL‘\.
Edinburgh
Alcoholics Anonymous
3.\' (‘ockburn Street. (‘all 225 6000 for meeting time\.
Crew 2000
32 (‘ockburn Street. 220 3403.
Mon Sat I 5pnt.'l‘hu 4 8pm. Information on drug\ and \e\ual health and friendly ady'ice from trained yyorkerx.
Edinburgh 8. Lothian Council on Alcohol (i ('lifton 'lerrace. 337 8048. Information. ady ice and support. Turning Point 3 Smith's l’laee. 5.5-1 75in. .\lon l-'ri 0.30am 5.30pm. One to one counselling for addicts and \upport for their families.
West Lothian Drug and Alcohol Service 43 Adelaide Street. (‘raigxliilL l.l\iltg\lotl. 01500-130 225. (‘ounxelling. help in dealing with family l.\\lle\ and help in yyot‘king loyytlt'd\ employment opportunities. Youth Action Project c/o ('ommunity Home. 33 .-\l|er Place. liliburn. l.i\ ingxton. (H506 4M 588. .\d\ ice and information for young people about \ubstance mixuxe.
National Drinkline 0800 ‘H7 82‘2. Mon l-‘ri 9am llpm. Sat & Sun (i I lpm. liree confidential
information and \upport.
Alcohol Focus Scotland
loo Buchanan Street. (ilasgoyy. (ll-ll 572 (i700, \yyy‘yy.alcohol—foctix— \cotland.org.uk. With its informatiy e. accewible website. this group offers an e\cel|ent source of information for people yyorried about their drinking. Know the Score 0800 587 5873).
u xx yy .luioyy thexcoreinfo. ('onlidential drug\ information. 24 hours a day. 7 day \ a \yeek. ('all.\ made frotn a landline yy ill not show tip on a phone bill and are free. (‘alls from a mobile yary' in cost depending on network and may \ltoyy up on your bill. The \yelnite has lots of advice for anyone affected by drugs and details of local
1 16 THE LIST 3-17 Mar 2005
HEALTH&ADV|CE
\upport xery IL'L‘\.
Smokeline moo x4 x4 .\4 lineriurageinent and \lll‘Pt‘l'l tor tho~e yy ho yyant to \top or hay e recently \toppcd \rnoking.
Mental Wellbeing
National
Breathing Space 0300 838 5.x" or .\lintcom 0300 3 l 7 ton.
yy xx xx breathingypacexct itlandcotik. 0pm 2am. liree. confidential adyice for anyone feeling loyy or deprexxed. 9pm.
Sexual Health and STDs
Glasgow
Body Positive Strathclyde
‘) Sandylord l’lace. Sauchiehall Street. 34H 023.5. yyyyyybodypoxitiyeorguk. Drop—in centre open Mon. Wed. l'i'i 0am 5pm. 'l‘ue & 'l'hu. llatn 8pm. lttlot'ttlation and support for people yyho are HIV [iti\lll\c.
Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic (GUM Clinic) The Sandy lord lnitiatiye. 2 (i Sandylord l’lace. Sauchiehall Street. 2! 1 .\’(»0l. l)rop lll clinicx Molt l't'l 8.30am Illaltl. l5) appointment at other time\ until 7pm Mon l-'ri.
Rape Crisis Centre 0Hl 552 3200. \y\yyy.t‘;tpect'i\i\\cotlattd.org.tll\. 'I'ue Wed tk Sun 7 ()pm; Tim I 3pm. lace and conlidential \et'y ice offering information and \upport to women and girls \yho hay e been or fear they may haye been \eyually abused or axxattlled.
Edinburgh
GUM Clinic Laurixton Building. l.tltll‘l\loll Place. 530 2l()3. Mon Fri l0am 5pm by appointment. lior urgent problems. there is a yyalk-in clinic \y here no appointment lx necesxary from 8.30 l0.00am.
Mon liri.
Edinburgh Women’s Rape 8- Sexual Abuse Centre 0! 3| 556 9-137. yy yy yy.t';ipeet'i\i\\eot|and.org.uk. (’all for opening hours. See Rape (‘t'ixix (‘etttre. (ilaxgoyy.
National
National AIDS Helpline 0300 567 I23
Sexwise 0800 2‘2 930. 7am I2pm. l’roy’ide\ information and ady-iee on sexuality and \e\ua| health for young people.
Sources of Advice
National
Crimestoppers 0300 555 l l I. ('all at any time with information about any crime. ('alls are free and cannot be traced.
Victim Support Line 08-15 30 30 000. limotional \upport and practical ady'ice for anyone affected by crime. ll.\ confidential. of courxe.
Women’s Health 8: Support
Glasgow
Glasgow Women’s Aid 4th Floor. 30 Bell Street. 553 2022.
0.30am 4.30pm .\lon liri. e\cept Wed uhieh ix 0.30am Ipm for drop-in. and afternoon by appointment only. Drop- in and telephone counxelling for
Edinburgh
Edinburgh and Lothian Women’s Aid 4 (’heyne Street. 3|5 81 It). Mon. Wed. l-‘ri ltlamv 3pm. Thu 2- 7pm. Sat 10am 12.30pm. Refuge. \upport and help for yyomen \uffering phy\ical. mental or \e\ual ltl‘lhc‘ from their partners.
National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0800 027 1234(24 hourl.
COCAINE PAIN
Cocaine used to be the strict reserve of wired out rock stars, media types and models. It had a certain air of mystery and sophistication about it (although quite why someone is thought of as sophisticated for talking crap about themselves at 50mph is a mystery).
These days, due to its increased availability and rapidly decreasing price (around £40 per gram compared with £65 seven years ago), everyone is able to enjoy the delights of behaving like a moron and blowing half their nose out onto a hanky afterwards.
Cocaine is made from the coca shrub. Plants don’t mean any harm really; it’s just when humans refine them that things get nasty. By the time it gets to our toilet cisterns, via some incredibly dodgy means, it’s packaged as white crystalline powder - perfect for launching up your nostril with a manky banknote. Hmm, sophisticated.
It’s a strong, but short acting drug which initially makes you feel alert, energetic and slightly bolshy. Increased amounts lead to feelings of anxiety, make you look like a bunny caught in the headlights and can bring on heart palpitations. Keep on going and you could be unlucky enough to suffer heart failure. After effects can be depression and insomnia. Getting even more sophisticated by the second.
Cocaine works by meddling with the brain’s dopamine pleasure centre, which triggers the sensation of enjoyment of an experience. It’s all very scientific, but basically cocaine blocks the transporters that return dopamine to its home cell once it has finished its job of telling you to enjoy something. With nowhere to go, dopamine builds up and keeps binding with other cells’ receptors, sending pleasure signals over and over again, hence prolonged feelings of greatness (and the not so greatness once cocaine is out of your system).
It’s classified as a Class A drug, so not just a slapped wrist if you’re caught with it. Get ready for seven years in the slammer for possession and potentially life for dealing.
Prison sentence, damaged nasal membranes, loss of mates due to annoying behaviour, financial problems. It’s not really worth it, is it?