Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Rampant drink and drug abuse makes Britain the ‘addiction capital of Europe’, a think-tank warned last night. The Centre for Social Justice said alcohol and drugs are now costing the nation a staggering £36billion a year, causing ‘family breakdown, crime, debt and worklessness’. The report, No Quick Fix, found the UK has Europe’s highest rate of addiction to hard drugs such as heroin – and a greater percentage of people who will try amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy at some point in their lives. Its authors criticised David Cameron for promising to spend more on residential drug programmes, but actually funding up to ten years of methadone for tens of thousands of heroin addicts instead. The think-tank also warned that men’s dependence on booze in Britain is second in western Europe, and women’s is higher than anywhere else on the continent. One in four adults in England drink to harmful levels, and one in 20 are ‘dependent drinkers’, it says. The report condemns the Government’s failure to tackle cheap alcohol by abandoning its plan for minimum unit pricing – calling for a ‘treatment tax’ on alcohol that could fund rehabilitation centres for addicts. Christian Guy, director of the Centre for Social Justice, said: ‘While our addiction problem damages the economy, it is the human consequences that present the real tragedy. ‘Drug and alcohol abuse fuels poverty and deprivation, leading to family breakdown and child neglect, homelessness, crime and debt as well as long-term worklessness.’ He added: ‘From its impact on children to its consequences for pensioners, dependency destroys lives, wrecks families and blights communities.’ The study also raises serious concerns about the explosion in legal high abuse. It points out that 150 legal highs have emerged in the past three years, but struggling authorities have managed to ban just one in ten. It claims more young people have used legal highs in the UK than anywhere else in Europe – and says that a quarter of the continent’s legal high users are found in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 This is becoming a global issue with youth culture, Britain leads the way in many things sadly this is an issue there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Does it happen here..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Do take a linch of salt with things that the authors of this report say - they have there own agenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen85 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I have no doubt things could be better here also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 It's simple, Australia lags about 10 years behind the uk so your see these problems more and more in the future. Another aspect is population... As it grows so will the problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 It's simple, Australia lags about 10 years behind the uk so your see these problems more and more in the future. Another aspect is population... As it grows so will the problems Cough cough, this is not about Australia, it is UK news, if you wish to start a thread on Australia's drug and alcohol problems please feel free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeegieDave Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Drugs are a massive problem in the UK.. I sadly have personally known 5 young men between the ages of 18 - 30 who have all died as a result of drug abuse. Some of the council estates in the UK are absolutely plagued with drugs. The street that I used to live in in Glasgow when I was young had around 5 well known heroin dealers with a constant stream of people going in and out the building.. I used to see disguarded syringes on a daily basis on my way to school.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kungfustu Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I read this report....it refers to the so called legal highs that are now being used by young people in clubs etc in place of the illegal drugs.....for those wanting to compare countries this gurdian report gives an accurate and up to date picture of whats happening across the world....makes for an interesting read.....particularly the cannabis, Ecstasy and amphetamine usages. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/02/drug-use-map-world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 What are legal highs? I thought ecstasy, ice and amphetamines were illegal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kungfustu Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 What are legal highs? I thought ecstasy, ice and amphetamines were illegal? they are..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I read this report....it refers to the so called legal highs that are now being used by young people in clubs etc in place of the illegal drugs.....for those wanting to compare countries this gurdian report gives an accurate and up to date picture of whats happening across the world....makes for an interesting read.....particularly the cannabis, Ecstasy and amphetamine usages. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/02/drug-use-map-world A few surprises for some. I'm sure most people don't think that by moving to australia they will be escaping drug problems in society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Drugs are rife here mate, like most modern countries the drug issue is a real issue, a big issue a MASSIVE ISSUE, man i need a spliff:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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