Public Health England has recently released a report on the estimated number of crack cocaine and opiate users across each region of England, aged between 15 and 64 years old.
The report – analysed by concerned addiction treatment experts at UKAT (www.ukat.co.uk) – reveals that over 56,000 people estimated to be using both crack cocaine and opiates like Heroin and opiate-based prescription drugs live across London, a figure that has risen by over 6,000 in just 4 years.
Worryingly, these figures don’t even include anyone using cocaine in powder form, amphetamines, ecstasy or cannabis.
The data is based on users identified across London between 1st March 2016 and 31st March 2017.
|
Area |
Number of crack/opiate users |
|
Barking and Dagenham |
1,293 |
|
Barnet |
1,583 |
|
Bexley |
768 |
|
Brent |
2,310 |
|
Bromley |
1,130 |
|
Camden |
2,147 |
|
City of London |
22 |
|
Croydon |
1,933 |
|
Ealing |
2,419 |
|
Enfield |
1,654 |
|
Greenwich |
1,574 |
|
Hackney |
2,858 |
|
Hammersmith and Fulham |
1,482 |
|
Haringey |
2,106 |
|
Harrow |
1,301 |
|
Havering |
858 |
|
Hillingdon |
2,167 |
|
Hounslow |
1,688 |
|
Islington |
2,308 |
|
Kensington and Chelsea |
1,451 |
|
Kingston upon Thames |
575 |
|
Lambeth |
3,001 |
|
Lewisham |
2,285 |
|
Merton |
746 |
|
Newham |
2,805 |
|
Redbridge |
1,486 |
|
Richmond upon Thames |
623 |
|
Southwark |
2,492 |
|
Sutton |
886 |
|
Tower Hamlets |
3,244 |
|
Waltham Forest |
1,440 |
|
Wandsworth |
1,522 |
|
Westminster |
2,142 |
|
LONDON TOTAL |
56,299 |
|
Data presented by UKAT sourced from Public Health England |
|
The number of people living across the London boroughs aged only 15-24 and using opiates and/or crack cocaine currently stands at almost 9,000 and is of particular concern to the addiction expert team at UKAT;
“Public Health England’s data clearly shows that an alarming number of teenagers and young adults are addicted to these incredibly potent substances.
“They’re seeking the feeling of euphoria at pocket money prices- crack rocks can be purchased for as little as a fiver with dealers available any time of day at the click of a button.
“Teenagers misusing crack and opiates at such an early age will not only suffer with the physical effects of the drugs, but the drugs could impact their education, overall achievement in life and expose them to a criminal environment at a young age, without full understanding of the risks and consequences of their actions” suggests UKAT’s CEO and former addict Eytan Alexander.
It’s not just the younger population of London addicted to crack and opiates. The number of people recorded as using crack and opiates aged 25-34 stands at 12,874 with a further 34,369 people hooked aged 35-64.
Alexander continues;
“The impact of a person misusing these drugs in later life has a knock-on effect on their family, children, spouses as well as their own personal health, which will deteriorate at a much faster pace if drug use continues, and for some, will prove fatal.”
