Fewer young people are going into drug treatment – thanks to the government, there’s virtually nowhere left to get it

On the face of it, fewer young people going into drug treatment sounds like good news. I have no doubt the government will hail the 50 per cent reduction in their use of specialist drug treatment services over the last decade as a sign that their continued tough approach to drugs is working. If only it were that simple. Rather than celebrating, we should all be concerned.

The drop isn’t due to fewer young people developing problems, it is the result of savage cuts to a range of public services that provide support to our younger citizens. Equally, drug use is not felt equally in our communities, nor is the risks of exposure to drugs. Those living in the most socially deprived areas face enormous social challenges, such as poverty, a lack of stable housing and limited employment opportunities. It’s evident that with no remedy for the aforementioned issues, as well as cuts to drug treatment, youth services and mental health support, many often attempt to numb the effects of such challenges through drugs.

The last decade has also witnessed the rise of county lines drug supply and distribution. These networks rely on a regular supply of young people to take risks that those further up the drug supply chain are reluctant to, safe in the knowledge that when one of their young foot soldiers is arrested there are plenty more vulnerable young people who can replace them. Many of these young people have been excluded from school for problems that the state should be offering support for, but that support has been diluted year on year. Gone are youth clubs and apprenticeships, instead, it is criminal gangs who fill the void and groom these junior dealers.

The primary products handled by these young recruits is not cannabis and ecstasy, instead, it is crack cocaine and heroin they are bribed or forced to run. The success of county lines is demonstrated by the surge in crack cocaine and cocaine use among the wider population. It has been accompanied by the predictable rise in treatment for both drugs, which has risen by a third in the last five years and shows no signs of stalling any time soon. Not to mention the record number of crack and cocaine-related deaths, which also show no signs of reversing any time soon.

So far, the government’s response to county line drug dealing has been to point the finger of blame at the middle classes, alleging that their cocaine use is fuelling the rise in knife crime, which they erroneously also link to county lines. While it makes for an easy headline, it neatly distracts attention away from the underlying social problems that an increasing number of young people face but appear to be invisible to politicians.

This cohort of young people have been abandoned by the state at a time when state intervention is most needed. Unfortunately, no political tribe seems willing to champion their cause as they are missing from all the parties’ manifestos. Although that may change in the next couple of weeks, when the main parties’ manifestos are released. The drastic reduction in young people accessing drug treatment is due to austerity and not some magical reduction in the problems they are experiencing. The cost of these cuts is spiralling out of control. Tragically, this won’t be the last generation to face the brunt of those consequences.