HARD drugs are being sold in Wokingham for as little as £5 a hit.
That’s the warning from addiction experts who say heroin and crack cocaine are fuelling crime rates and ruining lives.
And it’s not just young people who are hooked with more recorded addicts aged between 35 and 64.
According to Public Health England, nearly 400 people in Wokingham are addicted to crack cocaine, heroin and opiate based prescription drugs.
But that shocking figure does not include those taking cocaine in powder form, amphetamines, ecstasy or cannabis.
There are more than 350,000 cocaine and heroin users across the south east, an increase of 5,000 in just four years.
Bracknell Forest has the lowest number at 365 with 373 in Wokingham.
In Reading the figure stands at 1,310.
The number of people recorded as using crack and opiates aged 25-34 stands at 10,621 with a further 20,842 people hooked aged 35-64.
Addiction experts at UKAT – which has treatment centres across the country – described the figures as “alarming”.
UKAT’s CEO and former addict Eytan Alexander, said: “Public Health England’s data clearly shows that an alarming number of teenagers and young adults are addicted to these incredibly potent substances.
“They’re seeking the feeling of euphoria at pocket money prices. Crack rocks can be purchased for as little as a fiver with dealers available any time of day at the click of a button.
“Teenagers misusing crack and opiates at such an early age will not only suffer with the physical effects of the drugs, but the drugs could impact their education, overall achievement in life and expose them to a criminal environment at a young age, without full understanding of the risks and consequences of their actions.
“The impact of a person misusing these drugs in later life has a knock-on effect on their family, children, spouses as well as their own personal health, which will deteriorate at a much faster pace if drug use continues, and for some, will prove fatal.”
Elizabeth Burton-Phillips from DrugFam which operates support groups in Wokingham and the borough called for drastic action to be taken to beat the drug scourge in the town.
“It should be mandatory for parents to attend a drug and alcohol evening at their child’s school,” she said.
“Many parents simply don’t believe drugs will affect their children or that they are widely available in leafy Wokingham so while they will attend other parents’ evenings, they don’t feel it necessary to attend those about drugs.
“Yet drugs are in widespread use and alcohol has been destroying families for years. Parents need to know the facts and how they can help.”
She added she was surprised that many parents would be surprised that hard drugs can be obtained for just a few pounds.
“It depends on how in tune they are about modern life and how engaged they are with their children.
“Social media has made buying hard drugs so much easier.
“You can go on Instagram or Snapchat and have them delivered to your local supermarket car park or to your house in a plain brown paper bag. I’ve even heard of people collecting them from council and NHS car parks.”
Elizabeth agreed that the problem was spread across all generations.
“There are people who grew up in the 60s and 70s still using drugs and others started using drugs and alcohol in later life to self-medicate for a number of reasons. It could be loneliness, depression or many other issues.”
Pam Jenkinson who has run the Wokingham Crisis House for the past 30 years said she was not surprised that hard drugs were being sold cheaply in the town.
“These drugs were once considered upper class drugs but that is no longer the case,” she said.
“I am not at all surprised to hear they can be bought so cheaply.”
