Overview
- BBC analysis of NDTMS data counted 16,212 children and teenagers in treatment in 2024/25, a year-on-year rise of 13% with a record share under 14.
- The North East recorded the highest rates nationally, with 22 under-18s per 10,000 in treatment and four per 10,000 among under-14s.
- Cannabis dominated as the primary issue for young people, frequently alongside alcohol and nicotine, with additional concerns over ketamine, ecstasy and cocaine.
- Schools were the main route into help, while Department for Education figures show 742 permanent exclusions and nearly 25,000 suspensions linked to drugs and alcohol in 2023/24, including cases in primary schools.
- Services report overstretched community support and scarce residential options for complex cases, as the government plans to channel over £13bn through the Public Health Grant from 2026, including £3.4bn ringfenced for treatment and recovery.