A MAN who helps Barrow drug addicts turn their lives around has backed calls for some substances to be decriminalised in a bid to tackle the rising number of related deaths.

A report by the Health and Social Care Committee found the country’s position on drugs was 'clearly failing' and called for a 'radical new approach'.

It says drug possession for personal use should be a civil matter not a crime, and any policy should focus on healthcare, not prosecution.

It urged the Government to carry out a consultation on decriminalisation and to look at the system in Portugal where this was introduced, saying such a move would 'save money' from the criminal justice system and allow for more investment in prevention and treatment.

Barrow was thrust into the national spotlight in 2018 after 12 deaths related to drugs in just four months.

Dave Higham, founder of The Well, said: “Addicts take up a large amount of prison space, and when people come out they reoffend, so there needs to be an alternative in the courts.

“We need to invest in drug services, there should be a focus on recovering and giving people the option to break free."

The move could 'save lives', the report claimed, as it called for 'sufficient funding' for alternative approaches, like a pilot of drug consumption rooms - supervised healthcare facilities where users can take drugs in safer conditions.

There were 2,670 deaths directly attributed to drug misuse in England last year, an increase of 16% since 2017, the findings said, adding: “If other causes of premature death amongst people who use drugs were included, it is likely that this figure would approximately double.”

The report said: “Evidence heard throughout this inquiry leads the committee to conclude that UK drugs policy is clearly failing.

“The United Kingdom has some of the highest drug death rates in Europe, particularly in Scotland.

“This report shows how the rate of drug-related deaths has risen to the scale of a public health emergency.

“The Portuguese system included improving treatment services, introducing harm reduction interventions, and better education, prevention and social support.

“Decriminalisation of possession for personal use saves money from the criminal justice system and allows for more investment in prevention and treatment.

“Decriminalisation will not be effective without investing in holistic harm reduction, support and treatment services for drug addiction.”