Drug dependence and the number of addicts is steadily growing. What exactly causes an addiction to drugs, how does one start and what are the risks?  Read here for an article written by Dr John Marsden.

More than £40,000 worth of drugs has been uncovered in a mail sorting office in Belfast.  The haul included amphetamines, herbal cannabis, LSD, Diazepam and recently banned mephedrone.

Official stats have shown that 10% of young people aged 16-24 admit to taking a range of Class A drugs to include heroin, cocaine and crack which is a rise from previous figures in 2005/06.  Chief Executive at the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs criticises young people for ignoring the risks associated with Class A drugs.

Some of the latest facts and figures on drug misuse published by the Department of Health:

-  For every £1 spent on drug treatment there is a saving of £9.50 to society as a whole
-  The Government is investing £604 million in drug treatment in 2008/09
-  £54.3 million of new funding is being invested to expand inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation services
195,000 people received treatment in 2006/7, 130% more than in 1998
-  Three out of four people stay in treatment for at least 12 weeks (staying in treatment for 12 weeks has a lasting positive impact and is a measure of successful treatment)
-  96% of drug users are receiving treatment within three weeks of being assessed
-  Drug related deaths have fallen by 13% since 2001 following sharp increases in the 1990’s
-  Drug related crime has reduced by 20% since 2003 among those individuals referred for drug treatment through the Criminal Justice System
-  83% of young people are aware of FRANK, the government’s drugs awareness campaign.  The number of 15-18 year olds agreeing that smoking cannabis damages the mind went up from 45% to 61% as a result of this campaign.

There has been a 75% increase of babies born addicted to drugs in Edinburgh where 75 cases of babies were born with withdrawal symptoms in the latest 3-year period (2005-08), compared to 43 cases in the previous period (2002-05).  Scottish ministers have highlighted the need to address this issue urgently.  Some of the effects of the withdrawal symptoms in babies include being jittery, difficult to feed, high-pitched cry and not wanting to be held.

There has also been an 11.9% increase in the number of drug-addicted women giving birth in Edinburgh (from 157 in 2002-05 to 263 in 2005-08) whose number represents almost double that of the Scottish average.

Former health minister, Malcolm Chisholm, says that much support and early intervention is needed as possible.