The Department of Health statistics reveal that across 10 categories of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and cannabis, there were 827 poisoning cases in 2007/08 compared with 724 in 03/04. Most worrying, hospital treatments for cocaine poisoning soared by 140 per cent, although cannabis overdose cases declined significantly.
Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope, has called for professionals working with children to get additional training to spot potential signs of abuse at an earlier age.
He said teachers, social workers and other professionals in contact with children often acquire "on-the-job" experience but believes more can be done to achieve earlier interventions.
"Clearly, the use of drugs itself can cause harm but without early identification a lot of the problems a young person is having can be compounded," said Barnes.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
