Call for more help for addicts

Drug-related deaths have soared in recent years

Thousands of lives could be saved each year if people with drug problems had greater awareness of addiction services, experts have said.

The charity Action on Addiction estimates that 150,000 people die as a result of an addiction every year.

According to the charity, one in three British adults has an addiction which damages their health because they are hooked to alcohol, smoking or drugs.

We need to find better ways of preventing and treating addiction

Professor John Strang

The charity has launched a campaign called Angels Against Addiction in an effort to improve services and boost research.

It believes that current services are failing people with an addiction.

And it has warned that the problem is increasingly affecting women and young people.

High death rates

There are approximately 120,000 tobacco related deaths, 33,000 alcohol related deaths and 1,700 drug related deaths in the UK each year.

Professor John Strang, a researcher with Action on Addiction, said urgent action is needed.

"We need to find better ways of preventing and treating addiction through research to help stop the needless loss of lives through the diseases that follow in its wake like lung cancer and heart disease," he said.

Lesley King Lewis, chief executive of Action on Addiction, said its campaign aimed to increase awareness of the problem.

"There is something everyone can do to help raise awareness of this devastating illness which is why we're launching our new 'Angels Against Addiction' campaign.

"We want people to become guardian angels for their friends and family - to understand the causes and problems of addiction in order to offer help and support."

The charity has called on the government to urgently tackle drug addiction.

Government criticised

Official figures show that drug-related deaths have increased by nearly 50% over the last five years.

The charity said the government's drugs strategy had failed to halt the rise in deaths.

A recent study showed that 600 addicts committed 70,000 crimes in the three months before receiving treatment.

In a statement, the charity said: "We know that once people are receiving treatment the likelihood of committing crimes is substantially less.

"In fact for every £1 spent on drug treatment, we save £3 in terms of crime.

"We are currently researching which treatments are the most effective to save lives and reduce crime."