Substance misuse costs £264m a year across Lincolnshire

This includes the demands placed on health, social care, prison, law enforcement and emergency services.

The figures underscore the significant economic burden of substance misuse on the county.

The report on the recommissioning of Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery services was presented to Lincolnshire Council members.

The report highlights that: “Drug misuse costs society £20 billion a year which equates to £350 per person – £264m in Lincolnshire.

“In Lincolnshire, 83 people lose their lives to illicit drugs each year.”

The figures are a stark reminder of the human and financial cost of substance misuse in the region.

The report also reveals 3.7 per cent of children in Lincolnshire live with an adult that misuses substances, leading to a higher likelihood of these children entering the criminal justice system and experiencing poor health.

Additionally, 19 per cent of children who were living with people who entered substance misuse treatment during 2021/22 were also receiving some form of support or intervention from children’s services.

The report also sheds light on the wider societal impact of substance misuse.

When parents are unable to care for their children due to substance use, the responsibility often falls to grandparents, known as kinship carers.

A national charity addressing the negative effects of drugs and alcohol on families reports 57 per cent of kinship carers have either given up work or reduced their working hours to care for a child.

The ripple effects of substance misuse extend beyond immediate family. One in three adults are affected by a relative’s alcohol use, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of this issue.

Moreover, the health implications of alcohol consumption are significant. Not only is it a major risk factor for dementia, but it also led to 12,568 hospital admissions across Lincolnshire for alcohol-related conditions during 2021-22.

Tragically, there were 320 alcohol-related deaths in the county in the same year. These figures underscore the urgent need for effective substance misuse treatment and prevention strategies in Lincolnshire.

The documents note: “For every £1 spent on treatment there is a saving of £4 through reduced demands on health, social care, prison, law enforcement and emergency services.

“For Lincolnshire, a core budget of £5,437,652 will create an estimated £21,750,608 return on investment.”