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Drink is most abused drug
Susan Bailey Health Correspondent - 17 January 2004
Alcohol is overwhelmingly the most abused drug in Swansea, Neath
and Port Talbot with more people than ever hitting the bottle, according
to a new report. West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
says more of their clients are addicted to booze than every other
substance put together.
But while nearly 800 people were referred to the agency last year
to sober up, the cash to help them has been thin on the ground,
according to chief executive Norman Preddy.
The agency, which this year celebrates its 25th birthday, helps
addicts and their families get their lives back.
But Mr Preddy says more money needs to go towards tackling the
abuse of a legal drug - alcohol.
"There is still little activity or funding for the alcohol
strategy, despite the evidence from UK surveys," he said.
"Young people are drinking higher levels of alcohol; under-age
drinking has doubles in the past decade; one in four acute male
admissions are alcohol related and more than 5,000 deaths are directly
attributable to alcohol in England and Wales.
"He said that while the harmful effects of alcohol are well
known, tackling alcohol misuse is not seen as a priority.
WGCADA helped more than 20,000 clients last year, including 1,464
new ones.Some were children - 32 were under 16, and 60 aged 16 or
17.
Nearly 53 per cent of its new clients, 773, were there because
of alcohol, according to the agency's annual report.Heroin was the
second highest, at just under 15 per cent, and cannabis at nine
per cent.
Most of the people with a drink problem, 441, came from Swansea.There
were 218 new heroin addicts, 133 cannabis users and 95 people hooked
on amphetamines.
Other abused substances, in single or double figures, included
cocaine, LSD, methadone, solvents, opium and sedatives.Mr Preddy
said more money also needed to be invested in the abstinence service,
which helps people stay off booze and drugs long-term after their
initial treatment.
"Between Swansea and our Neath abstinence service, 27 people
completed their programme which means 27 people clean and sober
for one year or more.
"He said the agency was ready to start two more groups, but
money was needed for extra abstinence counsellors.
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