Lochaber

Who are we?
Lochaber Drug & Alcohol Forum provides an important network for those dealing with substance misuse in the Lochaber area. The Forum has representation from a variety of agencies, including health, education, social work, police, Housing ,Streetwork Project, Voluntary Action Lochaber, Lochaber Council on Alcohol, Community Wardens, Elected Members and community members.

What do we do?
The Forum has a varied Action Plan which involves many aspects of tackling substance misuse. Activities include raising awareness about issues through newspaper and radio work, developing materials such as services directory and Snapfax (information cards for young people).
The Forum is a vital network for bringing together agencies with an interest in substance misuse. It is recently worked with an outside consultant to identify gaps and needs in the provision of alcohol services in the area.The Forum's Drug Training Team carries out awareness sessions with a variety of agencies and community groups. For details contact the Chair.The Forum runs a Small Grants Scheme to give low-level financial assistance to local organisations, such as youth clubs, who may deal with substance misuse issues. For details contact the Chair or Development Officer.

Contact the Chair if you would like to attend.

How do you contact us?
Chair: Hector McLean
Vice- Chairs: Thomas MacLellan
Administration: Karen Stevenson
Tel: 01397 706055

Get Ready for Work Students experiences of Alcohol and Drugs  - August 2007

Get Ready for Work is a college course run by the Employability Division at Lochaber College. The course is for young people from 15-18yrs who have left school and are not in education, employment or training, called the NEET group. During the course we work on employability skills from personal presentation skills, CV, interview skills to working effectively as part of a group, making decisions, personal responsibility and so on.  There is usually a work placement element to the course.  The young people come from a variety of backgrounds, some very chaotic, some very stable supportive backgrounds. 

As part of the course, the young people were asked to write about an experience, or their thoughts on drugs and/or alcohol.   They have given their permission for the excerpts below to be put on the website. 

Names have been changed to protect identities. 

Lorraine 16yrs

My dad is an alcoholic; 11 months ago he had everything. He was doing well in his job, had a wife, and two kids. But slowly things began to change. My mum and dad split up.  I moved in with my dad.  My dad started seeing his girlfriend, and leaving me in the house on my own. I was doing all the housework, hoovering, dusting, and washing and ironing. I also had to do the cooking and buy the shopping in every week. I done all this on top of studying for my exams, it was really difficult to cope with. Then he lost his job.  I remember one night he came in raging saying I didn’t do anything around the house, and that his girlfriend didn’t want to see him anymore. He marched up to my bedroom and ended up kicking my globe lamp to bits.  A few months later, because I had to look after my wee sister while my mum was in hospital, my dad kicked me out. It has been four months since I have seen him or any of my clothes or things.  Now all he has is the girlfriend (sometimes), 2 bottles of wine and 40 fags. 

Donald 16yrs

One Saturday evening in Caol about 5 o’clock me and a friend went to the shop to get a carry out. we went back to a friends house to drink it. By about 10pm we were totally steaming and we went to the five a side in Caol and tried to play football but really we were too drunk. Time flew in and before we knew it, it was 1am and everyone was just going home apart from me and a friend. we went to an 18th birthday party in Inverlochy and got even more drunk. My friend left and I went to my cousins house at 6.30 in the Sunday morning and fell asleep on his bed. My auntie woke me up at 2 in the afternoon after my dad was at the door looking for me so I walked home still drunk and got shit off my mum but all in all it was a magic night, well what I can remember of it anyway. 

John 17yrs

How I Feel about Drug Users In My House.The only thing I don’t like about my brother taking hash under the same roof as me is when he does a bong in my room, because we have to share a room and the smell gets everywhere in my bed sheets and in my clothes. The worst part is when he blows smoke in my face after inhaling the smoke from the bottle. As for other drug users in my house, as long as the passive smoke is not directed at me then I am not bothered about them taking drugs, it is their choice. 

Philip 15yrs

My Bad TripI took acid twice the second time I took it I had a bad trip and thought I was on a bus to hell because I saw flames coming up the side of the bus. I was so scared and I have never taken it since and will never take it again. I was out partying and took it for the craic.  A couple of my mates were taking it as well. I don’t know what happened to them and I don’t even remember going home and only remember bits of the party.            

Roger 16yrs

Saturday morning, the day before Rockness 2007. I can’t wait it’s a nice day and I was just getting ready to leave the house to go to the coop and meet my friends to get our lift.  I am so excited that I went down early. Well anyway I was at the festival that I have been waiting all year for. We were all in the campsite getting drunk and full of drugs when this guy offered me an ecstasy tablet and I wasn’t really going to say no was I? I took it and when it touched my tongue it dissolved straight away and I knew then it wasn't ecstasy. I was sitting on a chair and I was looking at everyone sitting in the campsite and I turned round and instead of seeing different people I seen the same ones again and again. I was tripping. I fell off the chair and started too be sick and the next thing I knew its 4 hours later, it was dark and I didn’t have a clue what had happened. There was paramedics all round me and they had just given me a jag. somebody said it was an injection of adrenalin. The worst part of it I missed one of my favourite dj’s “groove armada”. To this day I still don’t have a clue what I took.  My advice is if your going to take drugs at a festival “bring you own”.!  

Ewen 15yrs

The Effects Of AlcoholThere was a time when my pal was staying over night at my house, we were both having a good time going to different peoples houses consuming alcohol having a laugh and so on. Around 1o’clock in the morning I went to another party, my mate went to the pub. I was having a good time at my friends and as far as I knew he was at the pub. About 5am when me and my friends had  fallen asleep someone banged on the door, I answered the door she explained  that  my car had been stolen by my pal and damaged so much it was undrivable. He must have sneaked into my house and nicked the car keys. He crashed through some poor persons fence into his garden and kept going til the police caught him arrested him on the spot. He tried to accuse me of handing him the car keys and forcing him to drive and so I got arrested too.   I got out later and my “pal” was up in court next day.So all I say is when your drunk is watch who your pals are. And watch who your pals are when your sober too!

For further information contact Alyson Smith, Coordinator, Pathways to Employment on 01397 874223

13.2.08