Fewest under 18’s in the UK receiving help for addiction, is this a worrying trend?
Many youngsters are slipping through the seams in adolescent substance abuse disorder (SUD) treatments because of Covid-19. Although there have been many private alcohol rehab services, such as Substance Rehabilitation UK, who try to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, most children did not know how to deal with the strict lockdown.
Stuck in a world of insecurity, many were unfortunately exposed to substance use disorders, and succumbed to substance abuse themselves. Statistics show, however, that no matter how hard the crisis is, healing is possible through a dedicated treatment plan and rehabilitative therapies.
What impacts the youth? seeking help for AUD
Young individuals who seek help for substance abuse often have vulnerabilities that are linked to it such as having suffered neglect, self-harming because of traumatic experiences and more. Being cut off from treatment option during some of the lockdowns in the country worsened the conditions of many young Britons.
With the known stigma surrounding substance abuse, they also felt that society would stop them from seeking help. While some specialists are afraid it might become a worrying trend for the youth to avoid receiving medical help, others are fighting to raise awareness, inform and educate everyone about helping beat addiction and heal as a community.
Records of financial cutbacks
Every sector suffered from the consequences of lockdown. The pandemic brought insufficient staff and financial limitations while recorded numbers show an all-time low for the proportion of youths receiving care.
Reports state that in 2020-2021, England saw 11,013 children, under 18 years, receiving medical care for alcohol use disorder (AUD). That’s 23% below the record of 2020-2021. NDTMS says that it’s the greatest yearly drop since they started tracking, implying that in 2008-2009, less than 13,481 kids were hospitalised.
98,32 (89%) suffer from cannabis dependency, whereas 4,459 (41%) go through alcohol use disorder (AUD). Approximately 1,333 (12%) said they rely on ecstasy, while 976 (9%) said they use powder cocaine.
2020-2021 saw funding for children’s drug abuse disorders centres in England has been reduced by 41% to £43.19 million from 2013 to 2014. Two regions started lowering investment by over 60%.
From 2013 to 2014, each district in England has seen legitimate budget losses, spanning from West Midlands’s 61% to Yorkshire’s 8%. Substance use disorder affects families and their children because of drastic financial cutbacks and inadequate resources.
