A FORMER addict has warned of the increasing use of heroin in East Lancashire, after four boroughs appeared in England’s ‘top six’ for drug deaths.

According to new data obtained by the Lancashire Telegraph, the ‘crude mortality rates’ for the misuse of drugs have doubled in Burnley and Hyndburn since 2005, while the rates have also spiked in Pendle and Blackburn with Darwen.

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Meanwhile, the national mortality rates have actually reduced over the same period.

Out of more than 300 council areas, only Blackpool and Hastings had higher rates than the four East Lancashire boroughs from 2011 to 2013.

Janette Cunlisse, who is currently on a course of methadone treatment after using heroin for 20 years, said she was considering moving away from the area altogether in a bid to stay clean.

The 50-year-old, from Accrington, said: “It’s a real problem here now and the users are getting younger and younger.

“I try to tell them how dangerous it is but they just won’t listen. I’ve gone clean a few times but I think I might need to move away from here altogether, because most of the people I know are users.

“The stuff is getting cut with God knows what and I know five people who have died from it.

“I started when I was about 26, when my partner at the time was a user and I was naive. I tried it one day and that was it, it started ruining my life straight away.

“I’m so ashamed of it and I’d love to turn the clock back and have those 20 years again.

“I owned a house and had a job as a care worker and two daughters, who I rarely see now.”

Janette, of Richmond Avenue, is a regular visitor to the Maundy Relief charity in Accrington, which she said had been a ‘lifesaver’ for her.

Across the whole of East Lancashire there were nearly 300 deaths relating to the misuse of drugs in the eight years to 2013.

In Burnley, which had the third highest rate of drug deaths in England, the rate of deaths per million of population was 88 between 2011 and 2013. This compared to a rate of 88 from 2008 to 2010 and 42 from 2005 to 2007.

In Hyndburn, the rate per million increased from 37, to 58, to 83 over the same period, while in Pendle it rose from 56, to 63, to 82. In Blackburn with Darwen the rate increased from 63, to 77, to 81.

The England-wide figures show a slight reduction from 31 deaths per million from 2005 to 2007, to 35 from 2008 to 2010, to 30 from 2011 to 2013.

Julie Cooper, the Labour leader of Burnley Council, said: “I know this has got worse in recent years and I feel it’s because of the government cutbacks we have seen, which have reduced the number of places on treatment programmes.

“And people end up being addicted for so many reasons but the economic pressures don’t help, so a recession brings all sorts of problems.

“I know many residents won’t feel much sympathy for these people, but we have to remember that these are people’s sons and daughters and they need our help to get back into mainstream life.

“It’s terrible for the families and it’s a loss to all of society if people aren’t functioning to their full potential.”

Father Jim McCartney, who runs the THOMAS rehabilitation charity in Blackburn, said there might be a growing problem out on the streets, but progress had been made in terms of providing help.

He said Blackburn with Darwen Council had worked hard to reduce the bureaucracy around rehab treatment, which had helped improve access to the charity’s services.

He added: “Many of the people who use us live in hostels and on the fringes of society, so there are often multi-faceted problems and it’s a big challenge.

“Some of the social problems can trigger people to use drugs and alcohol to anaesthetise the pain, but the people who we see have got to want to change their lives.”

 

Drugs’ tragic toll

  • Rate of drug deaths per million of population and (number of deaths), from 2011 to 2013:

1. Blackpool - 132 (56)
2. Hastings - 96 (26)
3. Burnley - 88 (23)
4. Hyndburn - 83 (20)
5. Pendle - 82 (22)
6. Blackburn with Darwen - 81 (36)
7. Brighton - 79 (65)
8. Liverpool - 78 (109)
9. Weymouth - 77 (15)
10. Bournemouth - 75 (42)