| Latest local authority drug abuse hospital admission rates amidst Coronavirus crisis revealed**Public Health England has released the latest figures on hospital admissions due to substance misuse for those aged 15-24. NHS hospitals across the East Midlands have had to deal with over 1,500 admission episodes of kids and young adults between 2016-2018; hundreds more than they faced a decade ago. Analysis of the statistics by drug addiction treatment experts UKAT reveals that the number of hospital admissions across the East Midlands has risen in ten years from 1,110 in 2008/09-10/11 to 1,520 in 2016/17-18/19, a 37% hike. Public Health England state that these figures are representative of hospital admissions where the primary diagnosis could be mental and behavioural disorders due to either opioids (like Heroin), cannabinoids (like THC), sedatives (like alcohol and Xanax), cocaine, hallucinogens (like LSD and Ketamine) and psychoactive substances like Spice. UKAT’s analysis shows that the hospital admission episodes for substance misuse in 2016/17-18/19 were highest in Northamptonshire, where hospitals faced 335 kids admission episodes for substance misuse, the highest rate ever recorded and DOUBLE what they faced ten years ago (167). Hospitals across Leicestershire are admitting 42% more kids for drug abuse than they did back in 2008/09 as admission episodes rise from 116 to 165.Hospitals across Leicester are admitting 20% more kids for drug abuse than they did back in 2008/09 as admission episodes rise from 104 to 125.Hospitals across Derbyshire are admitting 28% more kids for drug abuse than they did back in 2008/09 as admission episodes rise from 210 to 270. Some areas have seen reductions in hospital admission episodes over the last ten years, including Derby (95 to 85) and Lincolnshire (165 to 160). Nuno Albuquerque, Group Treatment Lead at addiction firm UKAT (www.ukat.co.uk) comments;“These figures are extremely concerning, especially because they won’t paint the whole picture. There’ll be countless more children and young adults living across the East Midlands misusing drugs without the need for hospitalisation; this report shows the worst outcomes of when kids ‘experiment’ with drugs. “Drug misuse at such an early age of life can result in real long-term physical and social problems; not only are they negatively altering the way their brain grows and develops, but they could miss out on education, develop limited and stinted human relationships, become withdrawn from society and turn to crime to fund their habit. “It’s imperative that a significant proportion of the annual Public Health Grant is allocated next month by Councils across the East Midlands to educating and engaging with children in schools to prevent future generations from misusing drugs. “Given the current Coronavirus crisis, society should be doing everything it can to ease the pressure on the NHS at this incredible difficult time, and that means investing in preventative steps to reduce the number of kids needing hospitalising because of drugs in the future.” For help, advice and local drug support services across the East Midlands, visit www.ukat.co.uk/drugs/v10/ |
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