A NEW "abstinence" programme which helps drug and alcohol abusers escape their addictions by promoting a healthy lifestyle is set to be introduced across Scotland.

The charity Turning Point Scotland, which aims to help people with drug, alcohol, mental health and learning disabilities, is seeking to fund other projects after a successful trial of its first abstinence scheme in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

The project, run by the charity's South East Alternatives (SEA) service, has already helped four former drug or alcohol abusers by providing them with structured daily routines, including self-help therapy and free leisure facilities at a local sports centre.

The scheme, launched five months ago, provides an alternative to methadone programmes, which the Scottish Executive estimates are being used to treat 19,000 drug users.

A spokeswoman for Turning Point Scotland said: "Although the abstinence programme is a pilot project, it has clearly been very successful and we would like it to go into other areas of Scotland where this service is needed."

Addicts must agree not to take drugs before being allowed to join the group, which is based in the charity's Adelphi Centre in Glasgow.

Former addict Billy, 39, from Scotstoun in the city, said the pilot scheme had helped him keep off methadone after a 10-year addiction to the heroin substitute. In the past, Billy had abused heroin, valium and cocaine, and then became addicted to methadone. Now he spends his days running, swimming or using the gym facilities at his local leisure centre for free through the scheme. He also attends meetings with other reformed alcohol or drug abusers.

Billy was steered towards the group by his addiction worker after spending a year undergoing treatment to wean himself off methadone at Glasgow's Phoenix House rehabilitation centre.

He said: "I was scared that I would fall back into my old ways by hanging around with the same group of people when I left. Joining this group has turned the lights back on in my life. It has given me structure to my days, got me out of the old routine and helped me stay off drugs. I have just jogged two miles round Glasgow Green to prepare for a climb up Ben Nevis in June.

"The project is so successful because nobody is telling me what to do or ramming a message down my throat to stay off drugs.

Project worker Helen McFadden said: "It is a place where people can get together and share their experiences. Four of the seven people who originally started the group are still part of it, which shows how successful it has been.

Neil McKeganey, professor of drug misuse research at Glasgow University, praised the work of the group.

"These groups show what we seem to have forgotten over the last 10 years; that with the right support addicts can be helped into recovery," said McKeganey. "It is not good enough for the treatment services we have to sustain drug use. They have to do more to make drug users drug-free."