RECENTLY my wife and I heard of the tragic death of the son of an acquaintance of ours. He died of a drug overdose. Sadly in our circle of friends and acquaintances, this is not an isolated incident.

Addiction is a serious problem. Far too many people have a drug dependency which affects their lifestyle, life opportunities and life expectancy. Harmful drugs, some legal, some illegal, seem to be all around us.

According to a few of my friends, a surprisingly high percentage of the population have taken some form of illicit drug at least once. Statistics confirm that one in 12 people in England and Wales have taken an illegal drug in the last year.

Drug addiction, as we all know, can cause early death. There were 2,500 deaths in England and Wales in 2015 caused by some form of illegal drug abuse. Deaths due to drug abuse are at the highest level since records began. Cumbria has a particularly bad and increasing problem.

But it is not just drugs. Alcohol addiction seems to be forever with us, even although the dangers of excessive alcohol use are well known. In England in 2015 there were 6,800 alcohol-related deaths and by a broad measure over one million alcohol-related hospital admissions.

Gambling addiction is also a serious problem. It has ruined so many families. The current estimate is that there are over 350,000 people who have a serious gambling addiction in our country.

These addictions are not just life-changing for the individual concerned, they can be disastrous for the families. To see someone you love change their personality - or even worse, self-destruct - is devastating.

There is a lot that we as a society can do: We need to treat addiction with compassion and understanding. We need to tell everyone about the dangers, and how they can find help if they fall into addiction (for example by contacting Cadas (cadas.co.uk).

Also if you suspect that a young person may have a problem, don't be afraid to share your concerns with the parents.

Cumbria County Council is doing a good job in trying to address these problems (see its recent Health and Wellbeing strategy). At South Lakeland District Council we recently voted money to support an initiative that brings theatre to local schools highlighting the dangers of addiction. I hope that, working with others, we can all find more ways to help.

The signs of addiction are often easy to miss. Let's all keep our eyes open for those who might need help.