By Michael Pringle
A charity鈥檚 e-learning module can help people in West Lothian who are receiving support for alcohol and drug use to live tobacco-free. ASH Scotland鈥檚 new e-module provides vital information for alcohol and drug workers, and volunteers, to encourage smokers who are being supported to reduce their use of alcohol and other drugs to seek assistance to give up tobacco products. Statistics show the level of smoking for people entering treatment for problematic substance use is substantially higher than the rate of the general adult population and the new learning aid can inform how to best support service users who want to quit smoking. The health charity鈥檚 Smoking and Problematic Substance Use module covers a range of topics including details about the linked behaviours between smoking and drinking alcohol or using drugs, the impacts of smoking on psychotropic drugs which may be provided during treatment, raising the issue of smoking and signposting to NHS Scotland鈥檚 free specialist Quit Your Way service. Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive for ASH Scotland, said: 鈥淥ur new e-learning module is designed to increase awareness and provide essential opportunities to learn about the negative impacts that tobacco use can have on the lives of people who are being supported to reduce consumption of alcohol and other drugs. 鈥淔or example, nicotine can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine and, when a cigarette burns, it releases a dangerous cocktail of more than 5,000 chemicals 鈥 250 which are toxic and around 70 that are known to cause cancer. 鈥淪moking also reduces the effectiveness of medicated psychotropic drugs, such as benzodiazepines, clozapine and most antidepressants, by up to 50 per cent which means people receiving treatment may need higher doses that could put them at higher risk of experiencing side effects. 鈥淥ur e-learning module is a vital resource for alcohol and drug support workers and volunteers to build their knowledge and confidence in starting conversations to empower clients across West Lothian to make informed choices about giving up smoking to live healthier lives.鈥 ASH Scotland鈥檚 鈥淪moking and problematic substance use鈥 e-learning module is available for free at www.ashscotlandmoodle.org.uk For quit smoking support, visit QuitYourWay.Scot or call the Quit Your Way Scotland free helpline on 0800 84 84 84. Don’t miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .