Hospital admissions 'point to rise in drug abuse'

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Statistics reveal 12,628 people were taken to hospital in London in the 12 months to the end of April last year suffering from an overdose or dangerous reaction to a drug either legal or illegal.

This compares with 7,091 four years earlier a 78 per cent increase. The largest rise, of 108 per cent, was among 16- to 18-year-olds. Adults saw an 87 per cent jump, and there was a much smaller increase in cases involving under-16s.

Tory MP James Brokenshire, who obtained the statistics, said the sharp rise in cases could only be explained by increasing misuse and addiction.

He said: "The UK has the highest level of problem drug use in Europe, and by the Government's own admission class-A drug use remains stubbornly high. Local hospital departments are increasingly having to pick up the pieces." A breakdown by hospital trust shows Barking, Havering and Redbridge had the highest number of admissions in 2006/07, with 1,142 equivalent to nearly one in 10 of all the capital's drug cases.

Other trusts with a large number of admissions include Barnet and Chase Farm, which had 756 cases in 2006/07, and Guy's and St Thomas', which had 755. The largest increase over the four- year period was at North West London Hospitals NHS trust, which registered a 188 per cent rise. No explanation is given in the parliamentary figures as to how many cases were overdoses by habitual drug users, how many were suicide attempts and how many were the result of accidental consumption.

Home Office figures last week showed overall drug taking among the population has fallen in recent years, although there has been a rise in the use of cocaine.