Scale of Wolverhampton cocaine problem revealed

The scale of the city's drug problem can be laid bare, with a total of 2,800 battling addictions to cocaine and crack cocaine.

And a new council report also reveals drug-related deaths in Wolverhampton have risen, with 32 people dying between 2014 and 2016, and 26 between 2013 and 2015.

Tory group leader Wendy Thompson described the figures as 'an appalling statistic' and urged council chiefs to do more to tackle the blight of drugs.

Councillor Thompson said: "The number of drug deaths is horrific.

"And a number of those deaths will be of young people and that's an absolute tragedy.

"Drugs blight people's lives and also their families' lives.

"There are also always new drugs coming through which we have to be aware of.

"And money spent dealing with this issue could be spent elsewhere in the health system – these are preventable cases and preventable deaths."

A report to the council's health scrutiny board says: "Wolverhampton is estimated to have 2,800 users of crack/cocaine in the city and there were 32 drug related deaths in 2014-2016.

"This is an increase from 26 deaths in 2013-2015 and this increase is consistent with the national picture."

Education is key in tackling the drugs problem both in the Black Country and across the country, according to Councillor Thompson.

She added: "Schools and colleges have an enormous job to do to get the horrors of drug addiction over to young people.

"That is ongoing and needs to be as thorough as it can possibly be.

"I come from an age group where I remember there was just one addict in Wolverhampton and he was well known.

"Now there are nearly 3,000 cocaine users – it's terrible and an appalling statistic."