The Northern Ireland Alcohol and Drugs Alliance (NIADA) is a group of voluntary and community sector organisations that provide support to those affected by alcohol and drug use, and their families. Their members include organisations that provide a range of services to children, young people, individuals and their families.

A short survey was distributed by NIADA in mid-May 2020, asking organisations to encourage their clients to participate. This was when lockdown was fully in place. The survey aimed to build on the important information that had already been collected by ASCERT. In addition to the survey, organisational leads were asked to maintain a diary over a four to six week period (from late May to the end of June 2020), noting their observations, thoughts on whether and how Covid-19 was impacting on people’s experience of drug and alcohol use and noting anything of concern/interest/change in patterns of use. To avoid placing additional work burdens on organisations, diaries were deliberately short and concise, with people recording their reflections in the way that suited them best. Five organisations kept diary entries during this time. As noted above, these organisations vary in size and focus. The diaries revealed some common themes that aligned with information revealed in the survey. When considered alongside the survey results, the diaries provide additional context in relation to the experiences of individuals, their families and service providers during this period.