Addiction Treatment in Bournemouth, Dorset
Addiction is a complicated disease that can wreak havoc on the user’s life and that of their loved ones. In Bournemouth, private rehab treatment is costly. The available free services are limited in space and, although they are supportive, sometimes a user needs more.
Bournemouth, Dorset
Bournemouth is a large coastal town just 94 km from London. Having a population of 183,491, 95 % of the workforce is in the service sector. Those who are unable to work often have an addiction to one of the popular drugs like heroin. In Bournemouth, 1 in 14 working-age persons claiming Employment Support Allowance (ESA) have an alcohol problem while 1 in 20 are addicted to drugs. A Cllr of the borough says he is not surprised by these numbers and blames them partly on the high amount of unregulated rehabs in Bournemouth.
Alcohol Use in Bournemouth
Alcohol contributes to a broad range of health issues, relationship problems, criminal offences, public disorder, and social concerns. According to the Bournemouth Borough Council, the population has significant problems with binge drinking and alcohol dependency. The number of people who abstain from drinking is significantly lower than the national average; however, the amount of drinkers who are thought to be at-risk for addiction is comparable to the national average.
The council reported that 38 % of households whose occupations included professional and managerial included adults who drank more than the allocation of units on at least one day per week. In Bournemouth, approximately 2988 adults are addicted to alcohol. This makes the borough 20 out of 151 in terms of the highest percentage of alcohol dependence in the UK.
These findings suggest there is a significant problem with alcohol use in Bournemouth. Nearly 79 % of the dependent drinkers are male; this is following suit of the national trend. Male and females with an alcohol problem are between 35 and 54 years of age. It is believed that of the 2988 adults addicted to alcohol, 373 of them may have Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome – an alcohol-related dementia. Hospital admissions due to alcohol are 100 % higher than the national average for males and 75 % higher for females, respectively. The same report also suggest that 46 % of alcohol dependent users may also have a problem with drugs.
Drug Use in Bournemouth
According to the latest figures, Bournemouth has one of the highest rates of heroin, morphine, and opiate use in the UK. Out of 100,000 people, 5 lose their life due to these drugs in Bournemouth. This alarming data is nearly 4 times higher than the national average of 1.7 deaths per 100,000. Bournemouth continues to be affected by high levels of opiate misuse and mental health related issues. Two out of six dependent users have been in treatment for six years or more. Hepatitis C is common in users who are injecting heroin, and up to half are unaware that they have the disease. Use of legal highs, such as bath salts, Monkey dust, or synthetic cannabis is not prominent; however, authorities are remaining vigilant about the potential introduction of these drugs into Bournemouth.
Bournemouth Rehab Treatment
In 2013, the local government has cut overall funding for alcohol and drug treatment by £300 million. Other budgets for substance misuse have been halved across a four-year expenditure period. This has resulted in a stressed healthcare system as well as a decline in treatment availability and quality.
Sadly, the number of people seeking addiction treatment in Bournemouth has declined every year over the last 10 years of monitoring. Data records show 787 people sought treatment between 2010 and 2011; whereas between 2016 and 2017, just 315 accessed public health care for help for an addiction.
The Department of Health suggests local authorities have a treatment capacity for 15 % of dependent people. In Bournemouth, treatment spaces for addicted people has been reduced by 103. Now there is a minimum 3 week waiting time for anyone in need of publicly-funded addiction treatment in Bournemouth. Private rehabs are available, but there are voiced concerns about the quality of care some of these facilities offer. Street Scene and The Providence Project are one of the more well known private facilities and have been around for a long time; however, the costs do reflect their experience and reputation.
Public assistance for addiction treatment in Bournemouth includes the NHS, and the following organisations or groups:
Essential Drugs & Alcohol Services (EDAS) – An organisation founded in 1970 to help substance dependent people and their families. A broad range of support groups, therapies, and educational advice is available.
Reach Drug and Alcohol Services – Offers support to anyone over the age of 18 with an addiction to alcohol, drugs, and legal highs. Harm reduction, intervention, aftercare programmes , mentoring, group work, and counselling is available.
AWP Specialist Drug & Alcohol Service – A special medical service offering psychological care, psychosocial support, prescription medications, and more. They can be contacted at 01202 977010.
Addaction Bournemouth – Trinity Project – Provides information and advice on all matters associated with abuse, misuse, or addiction.
NA and AA meetings are held weekly in Bournemouth. The times are listed on the links below:
