Julia Quickfall, nurse director of Queens Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS) visited Arran last week to see the important work that has been carried out by the Arran Alcohol Forum.
One of QNIS’s aims is to finance local initiatives, such as the Arran Alcohol Forum, which fill gaps in the service provision.
Mrs Quickfall said: ‘It is important for projects like the forum to receive funding from institutes like us.
‘They are providing a vital service on the island that must be recognized.
‘Sometimes people forget that Arran is not exempt from problems like underage drinking. The forum has very successfully tacked these problems and highlighted the consequences to their parents.’
Award
In November 2006 the group won a ‘Partnership in Practice’ award from the QNIS.
The award was used to further their work on Arran with the production of a ‘sleepover information kit’, which were distributed to all primary sevens and High School pupils.
The forum was aware of large numbers of pupils at Arran High School having sleepovers with friends during the week.
These were affecting school attendance, behaviour, attainment and having the necessary equipment for the school day like PE kits.
Isobel MacDonald, public health nurse on Arran said: ‘We produced two leaflets with support from the Scottish Co-op Community Group aimed at parents titled ‘Do you know where your children are tonight?’ and one for young people ‘Go on take a drink!’ for all teenagers.’
Arran Alcohol Forum was set up in June 2001 to identify if there was a problem of alcohol abuse with young people and what they could do about it.
Mrs MacDonald added: ‘The main issues we had to tackle were the culture of acceptance of heavy drinking on the island by young people, binge drinking, parents unaware of what their children were doing and the lack of youth facilities on the island.’
Since 2001 a number of major changes have taken place.
In some of the village halls a system of stamps is being utilised whereby over 18s have black stamps on their hands and are allowed within the bar area.
By 2004 the local manager of Stagecoach Buses had joined the forum and was able to provide transport for alcohol free functions.
There has also been a significant increase in the number of underage children caught with alcohol; this has resulted in prosecution of adults buying alcohol for youngsters.
Many of the licensed premises have been visited by the police and have been warned about the risk of losing their license if young people under the age of 18 are being served alcohol.
