Recent news that drugs-related deaths in Wales have risen by 67% in three years puts the situation in Swansea into sharp perspective.
Statistics from the International Centre for Drugs Policy show that 102 drugs-related deaths were recorded in Wales in 2009, compared to 69 in 2006. The position is particularly acute in Swansea where agencies have estimated that there are roughly 7,000 heroin users. However, despite that there are only 450 treatment places. An addict seeking treatment could wait 6 to 9 months to get a place.
The truth is that the best way to get treated for drug addiction across Wales is to commit a crime. That cannot be right and I will be raising it again with the health minister. I will also be raising with her the prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the City. Hepatitis is 100 times more infectious that HIV. Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination. But the budget to deliver that service is underfunded and needs to be reviewed.
I recently spent some time with the homeless nurse, who works with substance misusers in Swansea where I discovered that in addition to heroin use there a growing steroid-abuse problem in the City, with many users accessing needle exchanges to assist them with their habit.
It seems to me that the substance misuse services in Swansea are massively under-resourced. Unless the Welsh Government help professionals in meeting the demand from addicts, often with chaotic lifestyles, then the death toll will rise.
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Is this situation entirely the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government? I recall that the serious case review published in relation to the death of Child D (Kyle Bates) emphasised the increase in inter-agency working needed to help vulnerable young people and that intervention measures should be led by the local authority.
I understand that Swansea Council has reduced, and in some cases, withdrawn support for the independent & voluntary groups working with homeless in the area. I hope this is not the case.
Well done Peter Black for highlighting this.
Their is an extremely powerful video/documentary made about drug use in Swansea and the lives of these drug users. Available on the internet.
According to the National Assembly website, their seems to be zero drug problems in Wales. This is the wrong approach . A stupid approach . Many EU nations have drug problems, incl. Rep. Ireland, Holland , parts of france. Rather sinister that the National assembly should try and hide it.
It is about intelligent decision making and allocation of resources. Not just to tackle the problem but to STOP the problem. We could house all drug users in a large rehab centre. This would stop demand of drugs and pushers would be more visible in trying to find suckers willing to buy their gear. They could be rounded up.
Its all about a will (and logistics) if this drug problem which inhabits UK inner cities is to be stopped. At the moment their is neither a strong enough will or the intelligence to implicate a modum operandi which will stop the problem.
No that is not the case Shambo and the serious case review is unrelated
Hi there, the drug situ in Swansea is very serious. I also worked with the homeless nurse some years ago. I was a student nurse at the time and couldn’t believe the lack of resources. The government could be blamed for this,but surely it’s everyones resposibility to stop the drugs on the streets of Swansea. Heroin is more avalible now than cannabis resin. Now that’s frightening! I remember growing up in the 80′s and hearing of 14-15 year olds smoking weed. I wonder what the figures are like with that age group in Swansea at present with heroin. I volunteer on a soup run on Wednesday evenings and a rough-sleepers breakfast on Saturday morning, so I only get to see a small portion of what’s really happening out there. Be interesting to know the figures?