Charity sees rise in people seeking help about alcohol and drug use

A charity providing help for "problematic substance use" in Guernsey has seen annual increase in community referrals, it says.

The Independence charity said in a report that the latest findings came as it sought to increase the visibility of its free services over the last year.

The services include needle exchange and counselling work for people concerned about their use drink, drugs and gambling.

In its annual report, executive officer Tracey Rear said community referrals for 2024 totalled 158, marking a 5% increase on the previous year.

There were also an additional 43 referrals to the service from courts, the prison, and the Parole Board in 2024.

Referrals into the service were mostly done by individuals coming forward themselves by contacting the charity online, Ms Rear said.

On average, these clients engaged in six sessions of therapy, free of charge.

In the report, Ms Rear said much of this work involved "integrative therapy aiming to help clients build and maintain motivation for change, cope with urges, manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviours".

She added: "Not all clients wish to abstain from the various behaviours, some opting to have a better sense of control and problem management."

Alcohol remained the main substance islanders came forward for help with, the report said.

It also said 72 clients cited alcohol as their primary problem – while treatment numbers for those facing gambling issues remained "stable".

The report also included testimonies from people the service had helped, with one person who sought help on gambling noting their anxiety had reduced as a result.

"I feel more at ease and realise there are other ways to handle my thoughts instead of gambling. It's really helped, I'd encourage anyone to seek help with Independence if they think they need it," they said.

The report comes after the charity relocated to a more central location in Mill Street in St Peter Port under a year ago.

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