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Children under 12 taking cocaine
THE NUMBER of children being treated for cocaine addiction has increased by 50 per cent in three years, with some drug abusers being under the age of 12.
Last year 745 under-18s in England sought help from the National Treatment Agency for cocaine abuse, up from 453 in 2005/6.
Among them was a small group of very young children. Fourteen 12 to 14-year-olds and 169 14 to 16-year-olds needed help to get off the Class A drug.
The latest figures, published yesterday, showed 15 children aged 12 or younger were treated for Class A drug use last year.
Overall, nearly 25,000 people under the age of 18 needed addiction treatment for drugs and alcohol misuse last year, an increase of 150 from three years ago. Half of those were for cannabis, more than a third for alcohol; fewer teenagers get treatment for crack and heroin.
Last year the agency treated 657 crack and heroin users, down from 1,081 in 2005/6.
The fall reflects a similar decline in crack and heroin use among adults aged 18 to 24.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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