HEALTH
County Lines Campaign and BEAT In August 2019, Dorset Police launched their campaign to combat ‘County Lines’, a system which involves drug gangs from large cities travelling to smaller towns and rural communities to carry out drug related activity. Sometimes a dealer can take over the home of a vulnerable person – a process known as ‘cuckooing’ – so urban gangs can traffic drugs into the county for local distribution.
30% of adults exceed the government guidelines Addicted to the Bottle The most common of the harmful compulsive habits remain alcohol and drugs. The Stag Company, who have been organising stag nights in Bournemouth since 2004, say the town has ‘more places to drink per square mile than London’, making it no surprise that around 30% of adults in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole exceed the government guidelines of 14 units of alcohol a week (equivalent to six pints of normal strength beer or six small glasses of wine). An NHS report states that between 2018 and 2019 there were 360,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions and an estimated 24,720 deaths in England, caused by short-term and chronic alcohol abuse. For Sally, (her name has been changed to protect her identity) alcoholism resulted in the loss of her children, making it even more difficult to stop: ‘After they went I had nothing to live for…a chaotic haze of a life not worth living.’ Sadly, stories like Sallys aren’t uncommon, especially in our ‘go hard or go home’ binge-drinking culture. Even the highly-publicised struggles of Paul Gascoigne, who recently underwent surgery to have anti-drinking pellets sewn into his stomach, seem to have done little to deter us. Drug Misuse Hits the NHS
Embroiling the victim in the drug trade like this makes it harder for them to seek help and puts them at significant risk of physical and sexual violence. Since the launch, Dorset Police have reported an increase in arrests for drug trafficking and arrests for drugs possession against the previous year. And while the police work to prevent more drugs entering the area, the Bournemouth Engagement and Assessment Team (BEAT) is just one of the teams supporting those fighting drug and alcohol dependency. BEAT offers advice to those affected directly and indirectly by misuse, and can refer users for counselling, detoxification and rehabilitations, helping them to get clean. Impact on the Economy The Institute of Alcohol Studies reports that domestic abuse costs the UK nearly £16 billion a year, with alcohol or drugs playing a part in up to 73% of cases. It’s also a factor in 65% of violence against strangers. A 2016 report by IPPR estimated that gambling costs Britain between £260 million and £1.16 billion annually, while Drugwise reports that the 306,000 heroin and crack cocaine users alone in the UK need between £15,000 and £30,000 a year to support their habit, on top of everyday expenses. Whatever the compulsion, it’s a financial burden most users can’t carry, and often leads to burglary, fraud, shoplifting or other crimes as users grapple with the expense. In the case of shoplifting, the Centre for Retail Research reported that it cost the retail industry approximately £1,993 million pounds in 2019; a jaw-dropping figure that may partly explain why our high streets appear to be ‘dying’. 6% rise in drug-related hospital admissions last year
While new techniques are in development for those with drinking problems, the fight against illegal substances continues. Recent statistics suggest that drug misuse in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with the NHS reporting a 6% rise in drug-related hospital admissions last year. In Dorset, there were 380 hospital admissions where drugrelated mental and behavioural disorders were a factor. In Bournemouth, drugs are responsible for 9 deaths for every 100,000 – far higher than the national average of 3.9, and 5% of 15 year olds admitted to using cannabis in the last month. This all puts further strain on an already over-stretched NHS. But while these figures paint a bleak picture, Dorset Police and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council are working on plans to reduce drug abuse.
BH Living | bhliving.co.uk
21