The Scottish Parliament has heard of the invaluable work of the Christian community to help more than 2,300 drug addicts in Scotland recover from their addiction.
The Evangelical Alliance (EA) and Serve Scotland presented a report in June to Parliament on the work of Christian churches and organisations with individuals in addiction.
Out of 418 residential beds for alcohol and drug addiction patients available in Scotland in early 2021, 121 were offered by Christian groups. According to the Scottish Government, the number of drug-related deaths reached 1,339 in 2020. The government has promised further funding to reduce addiction levels in Scotland.
EA/Serve Scotland said: ‘Our hope in producing this report is to demonstrate the value and necessity of directing this funding toward many of the pre-existing faith-based programmes across Scotland.’
Fred Drummond, director of the EA Scotland, said the report ‘shows that Christians, fuelled by the love of God, are engaging with people going through the darkest of times and walking with them into a place of hope’.
Liam is one of the individuals quoted in the report. ‘My whole life I struggled with fear and anxiety as a result of traumatic experiences from my childhood’ he said.
‘After 20 years of using drugs and alcohol to ease the pain, I was reduced to a level of brokenness I never quite thought possible … If it were not for the Haven [one of the Christian groups in the report], I would probably be dead, and my family devastated. I can never repay the staff for the impact they’ve had on me, and my family’s lives.
