Drug deaths rise in every Black Country borough apart from Sandwell

Walsall has the highest death rates for heroin and morphine in the West Midlands – greater than in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

There were 21 deaths linked to the drugs in the borough in two years – 2.5 per 100,000 population.

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The total number of all drug abuse deaths in Walsall over 2014 to 2016 was 38, up from 23 in 2004-06.

It comes at a time the council is cutting investment in drug and alcohol treatment services by £250,000 this year and £500,000 next year.

Ian Robertson, cabinet member for health, said the situation was being ‘looked at very carefully’. He said: “I wasn’t aware the rate was so different to other areas.

“I believe some of these deaths were long-term users. We detect drug addiction well and have a contract in place to look after people.

Those requesting care are given it – there is not a current waiting list. But we, like other councils, are under great pressure due to funding cuts.”

The rate of heroin and morphine-related deaths in Walsall compares to Birmingham where, although there were 154 deaths, it was 1.8 per 100,000 population.

Even worse in Cannock Chase

The figures are worse in Cannock Chase, which has the third-highest death rates death rates for heroin and morphine in the entire Midlands region.

The borough had eight deaths linked to the drugs in two years – 2.7 per 100,000 population.

Only Stoke and Newcastle-under-Lyme had higher rates in the Midlands, 4.4 and 2.9 per 100,000 population respectively.

Elsewhere in Staffordshire, Stafford had seven deaths during the period from 2014 to 2016 –1.8 per 100,000 population.

South Staffordshire had just one death.

Councillor George Adamson, leader of Cannock Chase District Council, blamed almost £4m of cuts made to drug and alcohol services by the county council last year.

He said: “It is a problem in the Cannock area and I’m afraid funding has been cut by the county council."

County council cabinet member for health, Councillor Alan White, said: “We put £5.7m into drug and alcohol services across Staffordshire. W

"e regard drug and alcohol problems as a priority and we do what we can to help users. Every death is a tragedy."

Two years ago Addiction Dependency Solutions (ADS) had to drop plans for a recovery hub at the former post office in Cannock town centre.

Today, the group works alongside One Recovery at support centres for alcohol and drug users at bases in Cannock and Stafford.

The plague of Black Mamba

In Wolverhampton and Dudley deaths from drug abuse have doubled in 10 years – at a time funding is being cut from recovery services.

Forty people died from drug abuse in Dudley between 2014 and 2016 – up from 23 in 2004 to 2006.

Of those 40, 21 were linked to heroin and morphine, raising fears former legal substances such as Black Mamba are contributing to the deaths.

Meanwhile 32 people died from drug abuse in Wolverhampton between 2014 and 2016 – up from 16 in 2004 to 2006.

And drug users have told the Express & Star that Black Mamba is still a major problem on the city’s streets, two years after it was outlawed.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal 4.4 people are dying from drug abuse out of every 100,000 people in Wolverhampton.

Drug addict Bruce Price, from Wolverhampton, said former legal highs such as Black Mamba and Spice were taking more lives than traditional drugs such as heroin.

He said: “People are dying from Black Mamba, but while there is support for heroin, no-one can help us.”

Council cuts

His claim is backed of by ONS figures which show less than half of the drug-related deaths, 11, were down to heroin and morphine.

Wolverhampton council recommissioned its contract with Recovery Near You for drug and alcohol services, this month.

But the seven-year contract, which will see £4m spent on the service in this financial year, has had its funding cut by 20 per cent.

Under the new contract, the council claim the treatment of Black Mamba, classed as a psychoactive substance, addiction is covered.

John Denley, Wolverhampton council’s director of public health, said: “The new service delivers a recovery-focused model based on therapeutic, peer and family support and prescribing where necessary, and because it is a better and more efficient way of working, it will also result in savings for taxpayers.”

Dudley Council is cutting funding to its contracted substance misuse programme by £400,000 this year.

As part of its budget, the council is spending £4m on the programme this year, £3.6m on adults, £400,000 on young people.

The rate of deaths related to heroin and morphine in Dudley, at 21 deaths, was 2.2 per 100,000 population.

In October, it was revealed West Midlands Ambulance Service dealt with 50 cases related to Black Mamba every day.

Success in Sandwell?

Sandwell has the lowest death rates for heroin and morphine than anywhere else in the West Midlands.

The borough had just six deaths linked to the drugs in two years – 0.6 per 100,000 population - while the number of people who died from drug abuse in the borough fell from 18 in 2004-06 to 16 in 2014-16.

Councillor Peter Hughes, chairman of budget and corporate scrutiny at the council, welcomed the figures from the Office of National Statistics.

He said: “We the drop in public health funding we have to make our money go further, and so when it comes to recovery services we aim for the best."

Earlier this year, a newly-merged alcohol and drug service was launched in Sandwell, funded by the borough council.

Run by Cranstoun Sandwell, it offers treatment and recovery services partly through a ‘self-help approach’.