Horizon hosted another successful Keystone event last week, bringing together professionals from across Blackpool to discuss local and national topics such as housing, ketamine, detox and rehab.
Held at Blackpool Citadel Salvation Army on Raikes Parade, the networking event gives professionals working within the disadvantaged space the opportunity to collaborate and learn more about different services on offer.
Kayleigh Topping, Senior Pharmacist at Delphi Medical, took to the stage to speak about the drug ketamine. During her presentation, she addressed the national increase in use of the class-B drug, the effects it can have on people’s health and what can be done moving forward.
She explained: “We’re seeing a rise in recreational use of ketamine across the UK, with a significant increase amongst young people in Blackpool. There are serious health implications associated with its use which are starting to be noticed – it’s very concerning.”
Chronic ketamine misuse has been known to damage people’s kidneys, liver and bladder, as well as triggering or worsening mental health conditions.
To tackle the growing ‘ketamine crisis’, which is having an impact nationally, more dedicated services are becoming available in Blackpool – including the launch of the drug and alcohol Recovery Hub.
The hub, which opened earlier this year, has been a collaborative effort between Blackpool Council’s Public Health Department, Blackpool Coastal Housing, Delphi Medical Ltd, and the Empowerment Charity.
James Wood, a Recovery Practitioner at Horizon, rounded off the morning of presentations with a discussion about detox and rehab.
He spoke about the differences between detox and rehab, the barriers people may face in accessing these types of services, the benefits and how successful detox and rehab can help people achieve their recovery.
During his presentation, James explained: “A lot of people have this mistaken idea that if the client goes to detox, that’s a problem solved. That’s the problem completed. It is not like that; detox is very much the first step and not a solution in itself.
After talking about the medical side of detox, he moved on to community rehab and the benefits of structured support. He explained: “It can build skills and help the person maintain their recovery once back in the community, improve mental health. This is a perfect opportunity, especially in a rehab setting, for the person to do some really deep, meaningful therapeutic work”.
Keystone events are held every two months. Each event provides a space for those working in the disadvantaged space to collaborate and educate. The purpose is to get together to share ideas, information and inspiration in hopes of working together to help more people locally.
Horizon is funded by Blackpool Council to provide a wide range of drug and alcohol support for all Blackpool residents. As a service, they provide everything from treatments (including opioid substitution therapy) and health screenings to counselling and support groups.
