In October The BRISTOLIAN website reported exclusively on the chaos grip- ping both Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) and the Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA) caused by Coalition cuts overseen locally by Sue ‘Off Her Head’ Bandcroft of the Substance Misuse Team (SMT).

Bonkers Bandcroft claimed that “re- organisation” of the two services would “place the clients at the centre of the process”… Whilst SLASHING JOBS and INCREASING WORKLOADS!

Worried drug workers contacted The BRISTOLIAN predicting serious problems with the service in the near future – and lo and behold, just a few months later, what do we find?

“A judge in Bristol has raised concerns over a drug addict who did not get treatment SIX MONTHS after a court order was given. A probation officer was summonsed to Bristol Crown Court explain the delay, after the nine-month order was issued. The officer blamed a lack of available treatment places and a rise in the number of alcoholics in the area.”

A BDP spokesperson added:

“I think what we have at the moment is we just have a very, very large number of new people coming and not enough treatment capacity to be able to see every- one within a reasonable time.” Nothing to do with the cuts to the workforce and service then? Has alcoholism suddenly become fashionable in Bristol?

Perhaps Charlotte ‘Bacardi’ Leslie should be consulted?