Help is available if you need support with your alcohol, drugs or substance use
Change, Grow, Live provide the integrated drug and alcohol service for Manchester residents. The service offers both structured treatment and recovery support and provides a single access assessment and care coordination process for adults and young people and their families. Change Grow Live have bases in Cheetham Hill, Hulme and Wythenshawe. To find out more about their services and how they can help you, or to make an appointment, visit the Change Grow Live website.
Needle and Syringe Programmes
A needle and syringe programme (sometimes called a needle exchange) provides free, clean and safe equipment for people who inject drugs. Using your own clean equipment can help reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. Needle and syringe programmes can also provide advice on minimising the harm done by drugs, safe injecting practices and be a referral point to other health and social care services. Needle and syringe programmes are free and confidential.
You can access needle and syringe programmes in several ways.
Many community pharmacies across Manchester now offer needle and syringe programmes, where you will be able to dispose of your sharps.
Change, Grow, Live also deliver a needle and syringe programme service in each of their bases, as well as the NSP Direct postal service, for free delivery of clean and safe equipment to your home.
Naloxone
Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and therefore can help to prevent people who use drugs from dying due to an opioid overdose. It is important that people who are at risk from opioid overdose carry Naloxone, and family, friends and peers know where to find it and how to us it in an emergency, however it is often safer for family and friend networks to also have Naloxone readily available. Change Grow Live can provide free Naloxone if you are in treatment with them or from their NSP services if you are not.
Many community pharmacies in Manchester now provide free Naloxone services.
Who else can help?
There are many other care and support groups for people who need help to manage their alcohol, drugs and substance use. You can find more information about local services on our directory of services - Help and Support Manchester.