A Rise in “Club Drug” Users in Treatment

November 15th, 2012 | Add a Comment

A report from the National Treatment Agency (NTA) has reported that more and more of England’s young population needs treatment for their problem with “club drugs”. These “club drugs” include ketamine, ecstasy, GHB/GBL, methamphetamine, and mephedrone. The number of people treated for these drugs has risen substantially. The report from the NTA, Club Drugs: Emerging Trends and Risks states, “The number of people treated for club drugs was 6,486, up from 4,656 in 2005/06 – with over-18s rising from 3,122 to 4,479 in that period, and those under-18 increasing from 1,534 to 2,007.”

The use of said club drugs is significantly bad for people’s health. Ketamine was reported to cause severe bladder pain as well as damage to other vital organs. People also use a syringe to shoot up some of these drugs, particularly mephedrone, which can cause infection, leading to hospitalization or death. The mental health state of someone using club drugs is also a very big concern. These drugs can cause psychosis and hallucinations in some users.

Fortunately treatment for these addicts is possible if they want it. England’s rehab facilities are now steadily getting ready for the large amount of addiction help-seekers addicted to club drugs. The report found that more people than not who do receive help for their addiction are successful, stating, “Club drug users are often successfully treated, the report found – last year 61 per cent of over-18s and 74 per cent of under-18s using the substances left treatment successfully.”

This rise in club drug use will still be a challenge for professionals trying to improve the over-all quality of these users addicted to the drugs. Psychiatrist Owen Bowden Jones, who founded the Club Drugs Clinic at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, stated, “Whilst overall the drug treatment system has made tremendous gains in recent years, particularly in tackling heroin and crack, newer club drug use is a significant challenge and we are still learning the full extent of the resulting harms.” England has a lot on their plate right now but hopefully club drug addicts will find and get the help they so badly need and deserve.

Work Cited

Branagh, Ellen. “Number of People Needing Treatment for ‘Club Drugs’ Rises.” The Independent. The Independent, 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.