Recently released figures from the NHS Information Centre have suggested that the abuse of illegal substances among people of all ages may now be in decline in the UK, but experts working at addiction clinics have cautioned that it is important to look beyond these good results in order to understand the full picture. The drop in reported substance abuse may conceal a trend towards increased alcohol abuse and there is still a need for improved addiction treatment in the UK. 

The 2009-10 NHS survey into the use of illegal drugs in England and Wales, which combines official statistics with data taken from interviews with members of the public, found that the use of drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis had declined in all age groups between 11 and 59 has fallen. The proportions of people taking cannabis and those taking class A drugs both fell last year, to 6.6 percent (from 7.9 percent in the previous year) and 3.1 percent (from 3.7 percent), respectively. 

The survey showed that 8.6 percent of respondents between the ages of 16 and 59 had used illegal substances in 2009-10, which is equivalent to a total of 2.8 million people in the entire population. This result is the lowest since surveying began in 1996, when 11.1 percent of people had used illegal drugs. The highest proportion of drug users, 12.3 percent, was found in the 2003-4 survey. The survey also found that the number of 11 to 15 year olds who reported ever having tried an illegal substance had fallen to 22 percent from 29 percent in 2001. 

Despite the decline in overall drug use, the NHS reported an increase of 5.7 percent in the number of hospital admissions resulting from drug use. The report also showed that there were more than 200,000 people in England and Wales receiving help from drug services. Only 38 percent of the 62,685 people who had completed drug addiction treatment were actually able to beat their addiction. 

Experts at the Life Works Community addiction treatment centre welcomed the NHS report and the good news of the decline in certain areas of drug use, but they cautioned that this new report was not a cause for complacency. Alcohol and substance abuse remains a serious problem in the UK and there is a need for further development of the addiction treatment services that are available. 

Drug abuse is typically under reported for a number of reasons, according to Don Serratt from the Life Works, who notes that certain types of substance abuse are actually on the increase in the UK. The clinic has seen a significant rise in Ketamine addiction, and there has also been an increase in alcohol abuse, particularly among young people. This may be due in part to the recent economic crisis, which has pushed people towards the cheap alcohol that is readily available in this country. The rate of alcoholism among young people in the UK is actually increasing. 

It is essential for the government to continue moving towards an addiction treatment model based on abstinence and to make greater use of the significant and free resources provided by groups such as the Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous rather than continuing to primarily rely on the harm reduction perspective which has proven ineffective as a response to drug abuse in the UK. 

Life Works is a leading treatment centre based in Surrey that offers a range of treatments for people with behavioural health disorders and addictions. The clinic was founded by Don Serratt in order to provide a treatment program that helps people to achieve abstinence and deal with the underlying causes of their addictions rather than focusing on simply stopping one specific behaviour. The clinic aims to help people to recover and enjoy a full life.

Name: Life Works Community
Website: http://www.lifeworkscommunity.com/
Email: enquiries2010@lifeworkscommunity.com
Phone: 0800 081 0700
Address: Life Works Community Ltd The Grange High Street
City: Old Woking
County/State: Surrey
Postcode/ZIP: GU22 8LB Country: United Kingdom