Drug & Alcohol Services
This page signposts to drug and alcohol support routes, local service finders, recovery charities, harm reduction information, peer support and family support.
Drug and alcohol services vary by local area. Some organisations work nationally, while others only operate in certain counties, cities or regions. Visitors should always check directly with the official website, NHS, local council, Talk to FRANK, or local drug and alcohol service finder to confirm what support is available where they live.
The Recovery Space provides education, self-help tools and neutral signposting only. It does not provide detox advice, medical advice, professional assessment, crisis support, counselling or one-to-one support.
Important safety note: If someone is in immediate danger, has overdosed, is unconscious, has serious withdrawal symptoms, chest pain, breathing problems, a seizure, severe confusion or any other life-threatening symptom, call 999. If someone is worried about withdrawal, detox, or stopping alcohol or other substances suddenly, they should seek professional medical advice through a GP, NHS 111 or a local drug and alcohol service.
National Starting Points
These national services offer information, guidance and ways to find local support for alcohol and drug concerns. They are a helpful first step if you’re not sure where to start.
NHS Alcohol Support
What they help with: Information about alcohol use, cutting down, alcohol dependence, withdrawal concerns, treatment routes and where to start if drinking is affecting life or health.
Who it may help: People worried about their own drinking, people unsure whether they need help, and people looking for a first step before contacting a GP or local alcohol service.
Location / Coverage: UK information page. Service access may vary by nation and local area.
Contact details: Use the NHS page for guidance. For urgent health advice, contact NHS 111. If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 999.
Best starting point: A good first step for someone who is worried about their drinking and wants clear NHS guidance before contacting a GP or local alcohol service.
NHS Find Alcohol Addiction Support Services
What they help with: A service finder for alcohol addiction support, including support to reduce or stop drinking, rehabilitation, counselling, CBT, group therapy and self-help.
Who it may help: People who want to find alcohol addiction support services and treatment options.
Location / Coverage: NHS service finder. Availability depends on local services.
Contact details: Use the NHS service finder online. For urgent health advice, contact NHS 111.
Best starting point: Use this when someone wants to search for alcohol support services rather than just read general advice.
NHS Drug Addiction: Getting Help
What they help with: NHS information explaining how drug treatment works, what may happen at a first appointment, local treatment options, NHS and charity support, and support for families or carers.
Who it may help: People worried about drug use, people looking for treatment, and people wanting to understand what support may involve.
Location / Coverage: UK NHS information page. Local treatment access varies by area.
Contact details: Use the NHS guidance page. For urgent health advice, contact NHS 111. If there is immediate danger, overdose or a medical emergency, call 999.
Best starting point: A good starting point for someone who wants to understand drug treatment and what asking for help may look like.
Talk to FRANK
What they help with: Confidential information and advice about drugs, their effects, risks, the law, alcohol, and where to get support.
Who it may help: People using drugs, people worried about someone else, young people, parents, carers, friends and professionals who want clear drug information.
Location / Coverage: UK-wide drug information and support service.
Contact details: Phone: 0300 123 6600. Text: 82111. Online contact options are available on the FRANK website.
Best starting point: Use this when someone wants confidential drug information or does not know what type of support they need yet.
Talk to FRANK — Find Support Near You
What they help with: A postcode/town search tool for finding local and national drug and alcohol services.
Who it may help: People in England looking for a local drug or alcohol service close to where they live.
Location / Coverage: England.
Contact details: Use the online search tool by entering a postcode or town.
Best starting point: One of the best starting points for visitors who want to find a local drug or alcohol support service quickly.
Drug & Alcohol Service Providers
These organisations provide drug and alcohol services in parts of the UK. Availability depends on where you live, so always check local information on each website.
Change Grow Live — Alcohol & Drugs Advice
What they help with: Advice and information on alcohol and drug use, cutting down, staying safer, family and friends support, naloxone and substance-specific harm reduction information.
Who it may help: People looking for practical drug and alcohol advice before, during or after engaging with a service.
Location / Coverage: UK online information, with local services available in some areas.
Contact details: Use the advice pages and online contact or webchat options where available.
Best starting point: Useful as an information button for people who are not ready to contact a service yet but want safer, practical advice.
WithYou
What they help with: Free and confidential support for people facing challenges with drugs, alcohol or mental health, including local services, advice and online support options.
Who it may help: Adults, young people, families and communities in areas where WithYou operates.
Location / Coverage: England and Scotland.
Contact details: Use the website to search for local support, speak online where available, or find advice and information.
Best starting point: A good starting point for people wanting non-judgemental drug, alcohol or mental health support in England or Scotland.
Turning Point
What they help with: Support for addiction, drug and alcohol issues, mental health, wellbeing and related needs, including online, telephone and local community services.
Who it may help: People looking for support with drug or alcohol use, mental health, wellbeing or related difficulties.
Location / Coverage: Services across England.
Contact details: Use the website to search for local support and service access options.
Best starting point: Useful for people who want to explore drug and alcohol support from a large national provider with local services.
Waythrough
What they help with: Free, confidential support for mental health, alcohol, drugs, housing and related areas through local services.
Who it may help: People needing support with drug or alcohol use alongside mental health, housing or related support needs.
Location / Coverage: Services in England; local availability varies.
Contact details: Use the website to find support near you.
Best starting point: Useful when someone may need joined-up support beyond substances alone, such as mental health or housing-related support.
More Drug & Alcohol Service Providers
The Forward Trust
What they help with: Drug and alcohol recovery support, community services, prison and justice support, employment support, housing-related support, peer support and structured programmes.
Who it may help: People affected by drug or alcohol issues, past offending, homelessness or unemployment, and people needing structured recovery support.
Location / Coverage: England and Wales, including prison and community settings.
Best starting point: Useful for people looking for recovery support connected to community services, justice, housing or employment support.
Phoenix Futures
What they help with: Drug and alcohol recovery support, community services, residential services, family support, prison services, housing support and recovery communities.
Who it may help: People looking for community recovery support, residential services, family support or structured recovery options.
Location / Coverage: UK services; use the service finder to check local availability.
Best starting point: Good for visitors exploring structured recovery services, including community and residential options.
Via
What they help with: Free and confidential support for adults and young people around alcohol dependency and drug use.
Who it may help: Adults, young people and families in areas where Via operates.
Location / Coverage: Local service availability varies across the UK.
Best starting point: Useful for people looking for local drug and alcohol support from a specialist charity.
Cranstoun
What they help with: Alcohol and drug support, harm reduction, family support, local recovery services, naloxone information and related programmes.
Who it may help: People affected by alcohol or drug use, including family members, in areas where Cranstoun operates.
Location / Coverage: Services in specific local authority areas.
Best starting point: Useful where Cranstoun operates locally, especially for harm reduction and alcohol/drug support.
Aquarius
What they help with: Support around alcohol, drugs and gambling, including support for individuals, families, professionals and communities.
Who it may help: People affected by alcohol, drug or gambling harms in areas covered by Aquarius services.
Location / Coverage: Midlands-based services; Aquarius is part of Waythrough.
Best starting point: Useful for Midlands-based visitors and people affected by alcohol, drugs or gambling.
Local and Regional Drug & Alcohol Support
The Recovery Space provides neutral information and signposting only. We do not provide detox advice, medical advice, addiction treatment, professional assessment, crisis support, counselling, safeguarding support or one-to-one recovery support.
The Dynamo Project
What they help with: Drug and alcohol addiction support for individuals and support for loved ones affected by addiction.
Who it may help: People experiencing difficulties with drug or alcohol misuse and people close to someone affected by addiction.
Location / Coverage: Coventry-based.
Contact details: Use the website for self-referral.
Best starting point: Useful for Coventry-based visitors.
Nation-Specific / Regional Support — Wales
The Recovery Space provides neutral information and signposting only. We do not provide detox advice, medical advice, addiction treatment, professional assessment, crisis support, counselling, safeguarding support or one-to-one recovery support.
Adferiad
What they help with: Support around mental health, substance use, housing, gambling, crisis support, carers, counselling, complex needs and wellbeing.
Who it may help: People in Wales affected by substance use, mental health difficulties, housing needs, gambling harms, caring responsibilities or complex needs.
Location / Coverage: Wales, with some residential/inpatient services beyond Wales.
Contact details: Use the website to search services and contact the relevant local team.
Best starting point: Useful for Wales-based visitors who may need joined-up support across substance use, mental health, housing or complex needs.
Kaleidoscope
What they help with: Drug and alcohol services, harm reduction, peer-led support, detox programmes, housing-related support and community-based recovery services.
Who it may help: People affected by drug or alcohol use who live in areas covered by Kaleidoscope services.
Location / Coverage: Wales and the Wirral.
Contact details: Use the website to find services and local contact routes.
Best starting point: Useful for visitors in Wales or the Wirral looking for drug and alcohol support, harm reduction or detox-related service information.
Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service (GDAS)
What they help with: Free, safe and confidential drug and alcohol services, harm reduction, family support, naloxone and needle exchange information.
Who it may help: People in Gwent affected by alcohol or drug use, including family members and people seeking harm reduction support.
Location / Coverage: Gwent / Wales.
Contact details: Use the GDAS website for service contact options. If there is overdose risk or immediate danger, call 999.
Best starting point: Useful for Gwent-based visitors looking for drug and alcohol support, naloxone information or harm reduction services.
DAN 24/7 — Wales Drug & Alcohol Helpline
What they help with: Free bilingual drug and alcohol helpline for information, advice and signposting around alcohol and drugs.
Who it may help: Anyone in Wales affected by their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
Location / Coverage: Wales.
Contact details: Phone: 0808 808 2234. Text: DAN to 81066. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Best starting point: A strong starting point for visitors in Wales who need drug or alcohol advice or help finding the right local support.
Nation-Specific / Regional Support — Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Recovery Space provides neutral information and signposting only. We do not provide detox advice, medical advice, addiction treatment, professional assessment, crisis support, counselling, safeguarding support or one-to-one recovery support.
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs
What they help with: Information, advice and support for anyone affected by someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
Who it may help: Family members, friends and anyone in Scotland worried about someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
Location / Coverage: Scotland.
Contact details: Use the website for current helpline, webchat, email and support options.
Best starting point: Useful for people in Scotland who are supporting or affected by someone else’s substance use.
ASCERT
What they help with: Alcohol and drug harm reduction, support, training, prevention and resources.
Who it may help: Individuals, families, workforces and communities affected by alcohol or drug-related harm.
Location / Coverage: Northern Ireland.
Contact details: Use the website to contact services and access resources.
Best starting point: Useful for Northern Ireland visitors looking for drug and alcohol harm reduction, support or education resources.
HURT NI
What they help with: Addiction recovery, family support, counselling, holistic support and community-based help.
Who it may help: Individuals and families affected by addiction and substance misuse.
Location / Coverage: Northern Ireland, particularly the North West.
Contact details: Use the website for current service and contact details.
Best starting point: Useful for Northern Ireland visitors looking for addiction recovery and family support.
Peer and Family Support
The Recovery Space provides neutral information and signposting only. We do not provide peer or family support directly, detox advice, medical advice, addiction treatment, professional assessment, crisis support, counselling, safeguarding support or one-to-one recovery support.
Adfam
What they help with: Support and information for families, friends and carers affected by someone else’s drug use, alcohol use or gambling.
Who it may help: Family members, friends, partners, carers and loved ones affected by someone else’s substance use or gambling.
Location / Coverage: England-focused national charity.
Contact details: Use the website for support information, resources and current contact routes.
Best starting point: Useful when the visitor is not the person using substances but is affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling.
Alcoholics Anonymous GB
What they help with: Peer support meetings for people who want help with stopping drinking and staying sober.
Who it may help: People who think they may have a drinking problem and want peer support from others in recovery.
Location / Coverage: Great Britain, including in-person and online meetings.
Contact details: Free national helpline: 0800 917 7650. Meeting search available online.
Best starting point: A useful starting point for someone looking for alcohol peer support today. Use the official meeting finder for up-to-date meeting details.
Narcotics Anonymous UK
What they help with: Peer support meetings for people with drug problems who want support from others in recovery.
Who it may help: People who feel drugs are causing problems in their life and want peer support.
Location / Coverage: United Kingdom and Channel Islands.
Contact details: Helpline: 0300 999 1212. Check the UKNA website for current helpline hours and meeting details.
Best starting point: A useful starting point for someone looking for drug recovery peer support. Use the official meeting finder for current details.
UK SMART Recovery
What they help with: Self-management and recovery training meetings for addictive behaviours, including alcohol, drugs, gambling and other problematic behaviours.
Who it may help: People who want practical tools, peer support and a self-management approach to recovery.
Location / Coverage: UK online and in-person meetings where available.
Contact details: Use the meeting finder to search by city or postcode.
Best starting point: Useful for visitors who want practical recovery tools and meeting-based peer support without a 12-step format.
Al-Anon Family Groups UK & Eire
What they help with: Peer support for anyone whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking.
Who it may help: Family members, partners, friends and loved ones affected by someone else’s alcohol use, whether the person is still drinking or not.
Location / Coverage: UK and Eire, with in-person and online meetings.
Contact details: UK helpline: 0800 0086 811. Use the website to find meetings and check current contact details.
Best starting point: Useful when the visitor is affected by someone else’s drinking and needs support for themselves.
Safety Note
The Recovery Space provides education, self-help tools and signposting only. We do not provide medical advice, crisis support, detox advice, counselling, safeguarding support, professional assessment or one-to-one recovery support.
Drug and alcohol services can change over time, so please check directly with each organisation for the most up-to-date information, availability, referral routes and local support options.
If you are physically dependent on alcohol, drugs, medication or more than one substance, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Please speak to a GP, pharmacist, NHS service or local drug and alcohol service before making sudden changes.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent medical advice and it is not a 999 emergency, contact NHS 111.