North West Drugs and Alcohol Problems

The North West has fared badly in a national survey of drug and alcohol abuse. Salford came out worst in a list of English locations ranked on the severity of the drinking problems affecting the local population. Rochdale came in at number three and Manchester at number four, while Barrow-in-Furness, St Helens, Tameside, Halton and Bury also feature in the top 10 list. A report carried out by the MEN newspaper claimed that Manchester also had one of the most severe drug problems in England with 1,745 hospital admissions in the city being as a result of illegal substances during 2014-15. Most of these admissions related to behavioural and mental health issues linked to substance misuse but in some of the cases people were taken to hospital suffering from overdoses or poisoning.

Above average crime rate in Manchester

And between 2013 and 2015, 106 people have died as a result of drug use in Manchester – this works out at approximately eight people in every 100,000 living in the city. The MEN claimed the city also had an above-average rate of drug crime with 1,320 recorded incidents in the year leading up to August 2016. Experts have said work now needs to be done to work out why Greater Manchester and the North West has issues with drug and alcohol abuse. Sarah Galvani, a professor of adult social care at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “The challenge is how we respond to the problem. At the end of the day, people with substance issues will turn up somewhere, whether that’s at A+E, in the social care system or the criminal justice system.” AlphaBiolabs, an accredited laboratory which offers reliable and accurate drug and alcohol testing is based in Warrington in the North West of England. We also have walk-in centres where customers can provide a sample for DNA or drug testing in Manchester, Preston and Liverpool.