TODAY we have reported the shocking news that drug related deaths are at an all time high.

Sadly I feel that we are not getting much closer to tackling this famously complex problem.

When it comes to the people that are addicted to substances, every addiction support worker will tell you that it is impossible to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves, and this is true. It can be a frustrating challenge to try and force a friend or loved one to get off drugs or alcohol. Even the people closest to them can be shouting at a brick wall. But this doesn't make them feel any less guilty when the person tragically dies. Even if they know deep down that they couldn't have done anything else.

Addiction experts at UKAT blame "drastic and unnecessary" cuts to drug and alcohol treatment services across the West Midlands for the rise in deaths.

Eytan Alexander, Managing Director of UKAT said the figures were "saddening but unsurprising."

“It cannot be coincidence that as councils here slash drug and alcohol treatment budgets by £23 million over 6 years, the highest number of people on record lose their lives to drugs. We urge councils across the West Midlands to invest in effective drug and alcohol services next year to avoid more loss of life."

This might be very true but cuts to drug services cannot be the single cause for the rise as the figures include suicides using drugs and drug deaths where the deceased has used over the counter drugs from pharmacies. Therefore I think that other possible factors like unemployment or the difficulty in accessing mental health treatment could be explored.

Worryingly the number of men who have died after taking drugs have doubled in the last three years, implying that mental health is more central to the issue as men are also much more likely to take their own lives.

Mr Alexander said: "We must remember that these aren't just numbers; they're people, they're someone's mother, father, child or friend and we can't stress enough the value of investing in addiction treatment."