FEWER teenagers in Swindon are needing treatment for drug addiction especially for heroin and crack abuse.

New statistics released by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse revealed a drop in the number of teens who had tried drugs in the town.

The number of under-18s treated for problem drug use associated with heroin and crack has fallen more than a third since 2005/06, from 1,081 to 658.

The report also pointed out that the number of 11-15 year olds in Swindon who had never drunk alcohol rose from 39 per cent in 2003 to 48 per cent in 2008.

Although the number of drug addicts seeking treatment has fallen, the number of teens requiring specialist substance misuse services in the South West during 2008/09 was 2,224 – a drop of just one person on the previous year. A spokesman for the NTA said this indicates that demand for such services was levelling out and the vast majority of these young people are receiving help for problems associated with the misuse of cannabis and/or alcohol, which are treated with structured counselling.

Clive Lewis, NTA acting regional manager, said: “The pattern of decline in the most problematic drugs is a further indication that the heroin epidemic may have peaked.

“It would also suggest that young people in the South West are getting the help they need for substance misuse before their problems become entrenched. “It is important to remember that addiction is rare among young people.

“Many under-18s who are receiving help are not being treated for dependency, the majority are receiving psycho-social interventions such as counselling, which may include family work and harm reduction interventions, to address the underlying causes and behavioural consequences of substance misuse with the goal of preventing young people from becoming drug dependent in future.”

Specialist treatment for substance misuse in Swindon is managed by a group called U-Turn, which is commissioned by the local partnership comprising Swindon Borough Council, NHS Swindon and local Youth Justice agencies.

There are currently under 30 young people receiving treatment in the town and none under the age of 14, with 52 per cent being male and 48 per cent being female. As with the national trend the main substances being misused are cannabis and alcohol.

National evidence continues to show that drug and alcohol misuse among young people in England is declining and the increasing availability of specialist substance misuse service is helping to combat this.

Other reported trends in the region show that the number of teens being helped for cocaine use has dropped from 102 to 88 and that cannabis accounted for 1,068 young people and alcohol 802 – together they account for around eight out of ten of all young people receiving support in the south west in the year.