Nearly 100 Luton under-18s needed drug or alcohol treatment last year

The council’s data shows that 98 children and young people were assessed as needing treatment on 2024/25, with 96 accessing treatment.

The average wait from referral to assessment was 15 days, including weekends.

The longest time between referral and assessment was 90-days due to persistent non-attendance and non-engagement; the young person eventually attended following assertive outreach by the key worker.

The council said after assessment, interventions start within 10 working days.

Of those in treatment, 22 children and young people under 18 were recorded as having co-occurring mental health needs, and 10 required safeguarding interventions due to exploitation risks.

Only one person under 18 accessed structured treatment for using Ketamine, which they disclosed at treatment start.

Councillor Rumi Chowdhury, portfolio holder for public health at Luton Borough Council said: “We are committed to delivering effective and accessible drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery services in Luton, with prevention and early intervention at the heart of our approach.

“Early exposure to drugs and alcohol can have long-term consequences for children and young people, which is why we have recently commissioned a new treatment and recovery service that includes a specialist provision for 8 to 24-year-olds.

“Launching on April 1, 2026, the service will provide tailored clinical and psychosocial support and work closely with health, education, criminal justice and other local partners to deliver joined-up, wraparound care.

“It will also offer family-focused support for children affected by parental substance use, helping to build resilience, safeguard young people and support better outcomes in the long term.”

The local figures come as a BBC Shared Data Unit investigation found more than 16,000 under-18s were in drug or alcohol treatment in England in 2024/25, a 13 per cent rise on the previous year.

More than half were aged 15 or younger, and the proportion of under-14s in treatment reached a record high (1,832) .

Professor Dame Carol Black, the government’s independent drugs adviser, told the BBC: “There is every intention centrally to rebuild these services and rebuild them better.

“We need the highest possible quality of treatment, delivered in a way that is accessible and acceptable to young people.”

She also warned that residential care for children remains a challenge: “There will be complex cases that absolutely need residential care, and we have work to do to define this area much better and give appropriate guidance.”

Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza said unequal access to treatment amounts to a postcode lottery: “Children should never be denied healthcare because of where they live.

“I’m deeply concerned that too many children face this kind of postcode lottery in accessing specialist support for dealing with drugs and addiction.”

The BBC Shared Data Unit report warns that access to youth drug services varies significantly between local authorities and that there are no state-run specialist residential treatment centres for under-18s anywhere in the UK, with only limited private provision available .

Dr Will Haydock, chief executive of treatment charity Collective Voice, told the BBC: “We know what’s provided varies from one local area to another.

“We need consistency, and that has to come from the centre, with a clear strategy and plan for reducing harm.”

BBC Shared Data Unit figures show 40 under-18s were in treatment in Bedford borough and 85 in Central Bedfordshire in 2024/25.