Ceredigion County Council website

Substance Misuse Services in Ceredigion aim to reduce the harm caused to the individual, their family, friends and the community, by providing assessment, care management and a variety of community interventions and access to in patient and residential treatment.

Services are provided by Ceredigion County Council, Hywel Dda Health Authority and Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service (DDAS), and all referrals to the Adult Substance Misuse services are via DDAS - 0330 363 9997.

Also further support services through:

Barod: Specialist Young Person Substance Misuse Service

• West Wales Services

Samaritans

• Freephone: 116 123

What is substance misuse?

Substance misuse is the continued use of drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences to the individual using, their friends, family and the community. All substance use has the potential to cause health, social and criminal consequences.

The most commonly used substances are alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, others include stimulants such as amphetamine, opiates such as heroin and depressants such as valium.

What causes substance misuse?

Substance use often starts when people are young and influenced by friends and family. Most people’s use will reduce as they get older, but for others it can become a problem. While initially they may have enjoyed the effects, they may find it increasingly difficult to enjoy life without substance use.

Some people may find that substance use helps them to deal with difficulties in their lives, and this can often lead to increased use. Substance use itself may then cause problems for the individual, financially or within their relationships influencing them to use more, creating a vicious circle.

Some people use substances to manage physical or emotional pain, often while providing short term relief, the substance use will have long term negative consequences.

What problems are caused by substance misuse?

Increased use of drugs or alcohol can lead to physical and/or psychological dependence making it harder for the individual to stop using despite the consequences.

Substance misuse can have severe consequences to the individuals physical and mental health, it can lead to family breakdown, financial difficulty, homelessness, arrest, unemployment and in some instances death.

Tiers explained:

• Tier 1 – Information and advice, screening and referral to specialist drug treatment services, provided by non-drug specialists. 
• DDAS Tier 2 - Information and advice by specialist drug services, triage assessment, referral to structured drug treatment, brief psychosocial interventions, harm reduction services (such as needle exchange) and aftercare. Services include harm reduction interventions such a needle exchange and safer injecting advice, naloxone provision and blood borne virus testing. Also provided is engagement with structured treatment and recovery focussed treatment, both one to one and group work. DDAS will also offer support to anyone affected by someone else’s alcohol and/or other drug use. 
• CDAT Health Tier 3 - Community-based drug assessment and structured treatment (including community prescribing, psychosocial interventions, and day programmes). Provide comprehensive assessment and care planned treatment including substitute opiate prescribing, community alcohol and opiate detoxification, relapse prevention medication and access to hospital inpatient detoxification. 
• SMT Social Care Tier 4 - Residential treatment, such as NHS inpatient units and voluntary sector rehabilitation units. Provide comprehensive assessment, care and support planning and review as well as support workers to assist continued independent living, access to residential rehabilitation, co-occurring issues and complex needs as a result of substance misuse.