BRADFORD is to receive nearly £1.8m due to the city's high drug death and crime rates.
The Government's Department of Health and Social Care has announced Bradford has been granted £1,739,447 to tackle its local drug and alcohol treatment crisis.
The city is one of the first 50 local authorities with the "highest level of need" and so will receive this enhanced funding.
This was decided due to Bradford's drug death rate, deprivation, opiate and crack cocaine prevalence and crime rates.
The total money consists of £1,590,829 for its drug strategy allocation and an extra £148,618 to fund inpatient detoxification.
Another 50 local authorities will be selected for 2023/24 and the final, less-urgent areas, in 2024/25.
The breakdown of funding was announced earlier this month by Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid, as part of a £780m national investment over three years.
The Health Secretary said: “This is a significant step in our commitment to rebuild the drug treatment system, save lives and level up the country.
“We’re investing a record amount in treatment services and ensuring some of the most deprived areas in England are first in line for this funding, to support those most vulnerable by cutting drug use.”
In 2022 to 2023, a total of £85.7m will be issued to improve services in line with the Government’s 2021 drug strategy and the recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review, in which she described the current system "not fit for purpose".
Nuno Albuquerque, Consultant Treatment Lead for the UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT), which runs Oasis Recovery in Bradford, said: “The extra funding for drug and alcohol treatment services in Bradford is of course welcomed, but we hope it isn’t all smoke and mirrors.
“This money needs to be spent cleverly by the Council here and with the addict in mind.
“There’s no point spending money to detoxify people from drugs only to leave them on their own straight after.
"Their body will no longer be addicted, but their minds will be.
"Consistent and immediate therapy and rehabilitation is required to ensure that this extra funding isn’t wasted and most importantly, to give the person in treatment the best chance of a life in recovery.”
All local authorities in England will eventually receive additional funding as part of the drugs strategy’s £780m investment.
The UK Addiction Treatment Group provides 24/7 confidential help and support with drugs and alcohol.
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