CRACK cocaine and opiate use among young people in Barnsley is significantly higher than in the rest of the country, according to new figures released by Public Health England.
The report released by the government agency, which shows the prevalence of crack cocaine and opiate use amongst teenagers and young adults in Barnsley, has led Barnsley Council to state it needs to ‘better support those users not currently accessing services’.
An estimated 1,853 crack cocaine and opiate users were found in Barnsley between March 2016 and March 2017 - with nearly ten per cent of these under 24 years old - in a study undertaken by the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University.
While that total is lower than other areas in Yorkshire and the Humber - such as Sheffield, at 4,120 and Leeds at 5,550 - it means the number of users in Barnsley per 1,000 people is significantly higher.
The data shows the proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds in Barnsley that are users of crack cocaine and opiates including heroin, morphine and codeine, is 5.21 per 1,000 people.
This makes Barnsley somewhat higher than the national average of 4.62, and the average for Yorkshire and the Humber of 4.19.
The figures are much higher among 25 to 34-year-olds, where the proportion per 1,000 for Barnsley increases to 17.62 - almost two-thirds higher than the national average of 10.93, and a third higher than the Yorkshire-wide figure.
Barnsley is only slightly lower than Wakefield, which has the highest prevalence at 18.42.
The proportion of 35 to 64-year-olds using such substances drops to 12.15 in Barnsley.
But this is still significantly higher than the national average of 9.46, albeit similar to the regional average of 12.3 and nearly 50 per cent less than Kingston-upon-Hull, which has the highest figure at 22.59.
The data doesn’t include anyone using cocaine in powder form, amphetamines, ecstasy or cannabis.
CEO of private addiction treatment firm UKAT and former addict Eytan Alexander said the figures were ‘alarming’.
“They’re seeking the feeling of euphoria at pocket money prices,” said Eytan. “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.”
This comes after Barnsley was found to have the fourth-highest number of hospital admissions among 15 to 24-year-olds due to substance abuse involving opioids, cannabinoids and other sedatives and stimulants, according to Public Health England.
The same study found Barnsley had the fifth-highest number of hospital admissions in people under 18 due to serious alcohol-related conditions such as liver failure from 2015 to 2018.
Julia Burrows, director of public health, Barnsley Council, said: “These are estimates from 2016/17 of how many people in our borough are using these types of drugs.
“Since then we have a new drug treatment service in place. Barnsley Council prioritises safeguarding children, young people and adults and this includes the commissioning of specialist services to address needs including alcohol and substance misuse.
“Barnsley Council and partners, including treatment services and the police, continue to work together to look at local need and other data including hospital admissions to understand how we can better support children, young people, and families and prevent risk-taking behaviours which lead to substance misuse amongst adolescents.
“We particularly need to know more about those people who don’t currently use our support services at the moment and how we better support them.”
