30% rise in teenage drug addiction, figures show » Health » 24dash.com

The number of 16 and 17-year-olds being treated for drug addiction has risen by 30% in two years, figures showed today.

There were 7,857 youngsters aged 16 and 17 in drug treatment programmes in England in 2007/08, a 30% rise on the 6,058 figure for 2005/06.

The number was also up 7% on last year, when there were 7,338 people aged 16 and 17 in drug treatment programmes.

Figures for the under-16s showed a 17% rise over two years, from 5,859 in 2005/06 to 6,840 in 2007/8.

The 2007/08 figure was also 8% up on last year, when there were 6,342 under-16s receiving treatment.

The data is set against an overall rise in the number of people of all ages accessing treatment, the National Treatment Agency data showed.

In 2007/08, a record 202,666 people were treated (a 4% rise on the previous year), with one in 10 of these aged 19 and under.

The data showed that people aged under 18 were most likely to misuse cannabis, with 12,865 (78%) of this age group treated for cannabis misuse.

Another 5% (861) were treated for addiction to cocaine, a 67% rise on the 517 treated for cocaine addiction in 2005/06.

A total of 5% (773) were treated for heroin addiction, 1% (168) for crack and 2% (383) for amphetamines.

Another 3% (490) of those under 18 were treated for ecstasy misuse.

Very few people of all ages entering treatment programmes in England left them entirely drug-free.

The figures showed that 7,324 (11%) of the 69,612 people discharged from treatment during the year left because they were drug-free.

This meant they had overcome their dependency on the drug they were treated for, were not using any other illegal drugs, and some were also meeting demands imposed on them not to use alcohol.

Overall, 19,591 people dropped out or left treatment in 2007/08.

A total of 35,441 completed their treatment successfully.