The South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership is constantly working to create safe, healthy and confident communities in South Ayrshire. 

The latest step it is taking is to launch a campaign aimed at creating awareness of the risks associated with over-indulging in alcohol – by older persons.

Councillor Douglas Campbell>, Chair of the Partnership explained:  “Members of the Partnership are involved in a wide range of projects that aim to help people be the best that they can be, to improve communities, and to address problems that could affect individuals and their community.”

The Partnership has now  launched a promotional campaign titled “Rock not Roll’” adding the encouragement: “Age Gracefully, Drink Safely” with the clear aim of making older people think about their alcohol consumption.

Added Councillor Campbell: “By inviting people to consider the effects that alcohol might have, hopefully anyone who is over-indulging may be persuaded to change his or her ways.”
 “Members of the Partnership realised that many older people turn to alcohol and start over indulging because they think that it will help them.  When people are feeling isolated, are bereaved, enduring ill health, cannot sleep or seldom leave their homes they sometimes turn to alcohol for comfort,”  said Councillor Campbell.

“At first it can be the odd drink after dinner, then it happens every day, then another before bedtime, then people start drinking earlier in the day and drinking large quantities of alcohol.  Unfortunately some people even get to the stage where they cannot do without alcohol.
“As people age their bodies become less able to cope with alcohol and if a person is on medication it can interfere with it.”

Councillor Hugh Hunter, Convener of South Ayrshire Council’s Community Safety Committee said:  “Nobody is saying that older people should not drink alcohol, but everyone should be aware of how much they are drinking and the consequences that it can bring.  When under the influence of alcohol it is more likely that someone will have a fall or set light to something at home and this could be fatal.”

The campaign that has been launched is intended to get the message over to older people, that by drinking safely older people can “carry on rocking” and enjoying life while keeping themselves safe.

The campaign has been launched in conjunction with the Ayrshire and Arran Alcohol and Drug Action Team (ADAT), with which the South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership has established links.

The Partnership has established four working  groups which as well as focussing on alcohol and older people, focus on alcohol and young people, alcohol and young women/men and an anti-drugs sub group.

Attending the launch of the “Rock not Roll” campaign was Dr Maggie Watts, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and Chairperson of ADAT.
 
Said Dr Watts: “ Whilst people are well aware of the recommended drinking limits of 14 units of alcohol a week for women and 21 units for men, what they don’t know is that your tolerance to alcohol reduces with age. 

“The body is less able to cope with getting rid of alcohol so what you could handle with ease in your working life may cause you problems in retirement.  You don’t need to be getting drunk to have problems with your health from alcohol and it is important that we get that message across to older people and their carers.”

And Dr Watts added: “By encouraging older people to think about their drinking, we hope they will have a healthier and safer retirement.”

Anyone in South Ayrshire who would like advice can contact a range of people for help and support including a family doctor or nurse, Ayrshire Council on Alcohol, Social Services, NHS Ayrshire & Arran Information and Research Team, Alcoholics Anonymous, Age Concern, South Ayrshire Volunteer Centre, South Ayrshire Council Elderly Forums, South Ayrshire Council and Opportunities in Retirement.

Promotional documents for the “Rock Not Roll” campaign depict an older couple enjoying themselves in the sea, and so the campaign launch took place at Ayr Seafront.

Pictured at the launch  are (left to right) Councillor Hugh Hunter, Convener of the Community Safety Committee of South Ayrshire Council; Jenny Thomson, Director of Social Work, Housing and Health, South Ayrshire Council;  Dr Maggie Watts, Chair of ADAT; Ayleen McBride, Director of Ayrshire Council on Alcohol;  Karen Monaghan, Community Integration Officer (older people and alcohol), South Ayrshire Council and Councillor Douglas Campbell, Chair of the South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership.

October 2006