History and Philosophy
“To relieve poverty, sickness and distress amongst those persons affected by addiction to drugs of any kind and to educate the public on matters relating to drug misuse.”
Lifeline is one of the oldest non-statutory, non-residential drugs agencies in the UK. In 1971 the Lifeline Project opened its day centre for drug users in Manchester. Since its foundation Lifeline has grown and developed, responding to the ever increasing problems associated with drug use faced by individuals, families and communities.
Despite many changes over the years, a number of features have remained consistent. Firstly, Lifeline prides itself on taking a holistic view, rather than a purely medical or criminal justice approach towards drug problems. Secondly, and in consequence, we frequently develop innovative, distinctive and/or unique responses in terms of initiatives, projects and service development. Thirdly, Lifeline’s mission statement “Telling the Truth About Drugs” reflects our commitment to those people who access our services, and our desire to make a positive contribution to the challenges and debates that arise within the drugs and alcohol field.
We do not believe that there are any simple solutions to the problem of drugs. Over the last decade drugs have become cheaper and more readily available, the number of people using drugs has increased and the age of first use has become ever younger. It is our belief that there are no ‘quick fixes’ or ‘miracle cures’ to this problem and that a realistic starting point is to acknowledge that our impact on the problem will be limited by a range of other individual and social issues.
Fundamental to our work is the recognition that not all drug use is the same. We treat people as individuals, with all the strengths and weaknesses that make us unique and human. If people want to stop using drugs we will help them, because for some people drugs are the problem. For other people, drug use is the crutch that makes an imperfect world more bearable. We aim to help them live with their drug use with as much stability and dignity as possible.
Many people choose to experiment with drugs for short periods during adolescence or simply because they enjoy them. For these people we aim to ensure that their choice is an informed one and they cause as little harm to themselves, their loved ones and their communities as possible.
Our approach is pragmatic. We do not take a moral stance by condemning drug use; that position would simply alienate us from the people we aim to help. Our philosophy is to get on and do the things that make a difference.