Communities
Alcohol harm is not confined to the person drinking. It reaches families, neighbours, schools, workplaces, health services, social work, housing services and the police. What that looks like varies from one part of Scotland to another.
Alcohol harm is local National figures can hide very different experiences between Scottish communities.
Alcohol-related illness, deaths and hospital admissions are not spread evenly across Scotland. Some local authority areas carry a much heavier burden than others, and deprivation is strongly linked with serious alcohol harm.
That is why Scotland does not organise every alcohol service from one national office. Local areas are expected to plan services around the needs of the people who live there.
Read about poverty and inequality → See Scottish alcohol facts and research →What alcohol can do to a neighbourhood The effects are wider than hospital admissions and death statistics.
Families living with someone else's drinking.
Children affected by instability, neglect or frightening behaviour.
Pressure on GPs, hospitals, ambulance services and mental health services.
Police call-outs, accidents and public safety problems.
Housing difficulties and homelessness.
Debt, unemployment and problems keeping work.
Friends and relatives becoming unpaid carers.
These problems often overlap. A person may need alcohol treatment, housing help, mental health care and debt advice at the same time.
Alcohol and Drug Partnerships Each part of Scotland has a partnership responsible for coordinating local alcohol and drug work.
Scotland has 30 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, usually called ADPs. They bring together organisations such as councils, NHS boards, health and social care, Police Scotland, third-sector organisations and people with lived and living experience.
Their job is to help plan and coordinate local alcohol and drug services rather than provide every service themselves.
Find your local Alcohol and Drug Partnership ↗What should be available locally? Scotland now has a national specification for what local alcohol and drug systems should provide.
The Scottish Government's 2026 national specification says local systems should provide more than treatment for alcohol dependence. The wider system should include routes into practical and social support as well.
Clear information about where to get help.
Treatment and recovery services.
Community and social support.
Primary care and wider health services.
Mental health support.
Housing and homelessness support.
Benefits and income advice.
Employment and skills support.
Support for families and people affected by someone else's alcohol use.
Local services are not all identical The route into help can look different depending on where you live.
Services may be run by the NHS, council, health and social care partnership, charity or another commissioned organisation. Some accept self-referrals. Others may be reached through a GP or another local service.
The service name may also be different from one council area to another, which is why a Scotland-wide service finder is useful.
Find local alcohol and drug services in Scotland ↗ Drinkline Scotland — 0800 7314 314 CallFamilies are part of the community response The person drinking is not the only person who may need support.
Partners, parents, children, grandparents and friends can all be affected by one person's drinking. They may need advice about safety, money, housing, children or their own health even if the person drinking refuses treatment.
Help for families and friends → Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs — 08080 10 10 11 Call Families of Alcohol Abuse — information, personal stories and community ↗People with experience should have a say Local alcohol services should not be planned without the people who use them.
Scotland's 2026 partnership framework expects Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to involve people with lived and living experience alongside health, social care, councils, police and third-sector organisations.
That matters because people who have used services — and families who have dealt with alcohol problems at home — often see gaps that are less obvious from inside an organisation.
Scottish Government — Alcohol and Drug Partnership framework 2026 ↗Communities can influence alcohol licensing Decisions about where alcohol is sold are made locally in Scotland.
Alcohol licences are decided by local Licensing Boards. Scottish licensing law includes objectives covering crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance, public health and protecting children and young people from harm.
Licensing Boards can consider local health information and the cumulative effect of licensed premises in an area. Local Licensing Forums also provide a route for local interests to be represented.
Read about alcohol policy in Scotland → Scottish Government — alcohol licensing in Scotland ↗