The United Kingdom (U.K.) is undergoing somewhat of an epidemic when it comes to alcohol and illegal narcotics and substances. In some cases the U.K. has become known as the ‘addiction capital of Europe’. According to the report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) one in four Brits drink a harmful amount of alcohol while one in twenty are addicted. Deaths related to alcohol have skyrocketed since the 1990’s and liver disease caused by a dependency to alcohol is now rivaling strokes and heart attacks as a major killer. England also has the highest rates of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy across Europe, and in addition to that the Brits lead Europe in so called ‘legal highs’.
Alcohol is taking an increasing toll across all services in the UK and new emerging drugs are causing more harm – all the while funding to rehabilitation centres is being dramatically cut and methadone prescribing is being protected.
It is important for think-tanks like the CSJ to show us the statistics, and they are sobering. What is lost on the numbers though, is figuring out why so many people in the U.K. have turned to drugs and alcohol. According to the CSJ the abuse of booze and narcotics in England results in poverty, family breakdowns, child neglect, homelessness and crime and can lead to unemployment over long periods of time. It is important to note that alcohol and drug abuse costs England billions of pounds per year in treatment costs, and the CSJ has come to the conclusion that the taxes on cheap alcohol for instance haven’t paid off. The think-tank believes that more money needs to be put aside for rehabilitation treatment for addicts.