Alcohol and drugs taking their toll on Blackpool residents warns latest health report

A presentation by Dr Arif Rajpura showed drug deaths in Blackpool were almost four times higher than in the rest of England, and up 50 per cent in the past decade with 120 drug deaths between 2020 and 2022.

More than two-thirds of those dying due to drugs are men, while twice as many men are dying from suicide compared to women in Blackpool, with the town having the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country.

The grim statistics were presented to a recent meeting of the council’s Levelling Up Scrutiny Committee to give councillors an update on the health of residents ahead of the publication of the town’s official annual Public Health Report.

Those living in the poorest areas are likely to suffer ill health 15 years earlier than residents who are better off.

Measures to tackle drug and alcohol abuse include separating support services in order to focus on each issue, while police officers are carrying a potentially life-saving nasal spray that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose.

Figures from the presentation by Dr Rajpura show there were 1,758 hospital admissions from alcohol-related conditions in 2022/23, with deaths most likely in the 45 to 64 years age group (compared to 50 to 69 years nationally).

The committee heard Blackpool’s Lived Experience Team “had become a fundamental link to the services and members of the team were able to have ‘real’ conversation with service users”, according to the minutes of the meeting.

Many Blackpool residents are also suffering with their mental health, with around a fifth of adults (21 per cent) diagnosed with depression in 2022/23, compared to 13 per cent in England.

Members of the committee raised concerns at the high levels of men struggling with drug, alcohol and suicide issues.

Councillors also highlighted the need to identify alcohol misuse early and the need to offer early intervention, with Dr Rajpura saying work would continue to monitor the number of licensed premises within the town and the number of off-licences offering low-cost alcohol.

Dr Rajpura added a ‘Get Vocal’ campaign had been developed in partnership with Blackpool Football Club and the council, which includes providing a safe space for men to come together and talk to peers in a non-judgemental setting.