The Kirklees arm of Change, Grow, Live, a national health and social care charity, is on a mission to fight the issue of drug abuse in Kirklees, particularly of the South Asian community.
Substance Abuse or drug abuse is a crippling issue that’s plaguing countries across the world. The problem is a major issue in UK. National data from 2021 shows that there are 17 drug deaths per day in the UK or one every 80 minutes. Some of these deaths can be attributed to prescribed medications and over the counter medicine, like codeine and co-codamol – these are avoidable with the right support and services.
In Kirklees, nearly 2000 people have been supported by Change, Grow, Live across the Kirklees area for drug and alcohol addiction since the start of the year and many more have been supported through the charity’s additional services. Almost 15% of the people who seek support, are non-white.
X (Name anonymised for confidentiality) started taking cannabis as a teenager for recreational purposes but soon found he was addicted to heroin. What started as fun, soon turned into a huge problem that spiralled into addiction.
X says, “I started using drugs for fun and thought I could control my drug use, but the drug controlled me, and I became a heroin addict. I lived in the heart of a Muslim community where the stigma and shame were huge and accessing services was frowned upon as my family were worried about people finding out.
My addiction hindered my life for ten years and I know now that if I had accessed services earlier my addiction could have been resolved faster. I lost good years to addiction and would encourage anyone affected, including people who are worried about loved ones, to get access Change Grow Live Kirklees as early as possible. They not only supported me with my addiction but supported me with employment, housing support and my family members.”
Cllr Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “Substance misuse can devastate lives. But with early support, people from all communities in Kirklees can access the help they need to prevent a crisis from happening as well as getting lives back on track. There are support services and training available for individuals, families and organisations that can support local people from all walks of life. Together we can help reverse the effects that substance misuse can have on our friends, families and neighbours. Change Grow Live Kirklees have a range of support and training sessions for individuals, families and organisations and they do some great work across Kirklees to address substance misuse.”
CGL Kirklees Community Harm Minimisation lead, Naim Vali, who has lived experience of drug addiction and stated: “Drug and alcohol addiction in the Asian community has always been a taboo subject but through the work I do and local knowledge, I know we can no longer be dismissive of the challenges we face. Historically our community is hesitant to access services but with the right support recovery is possible. Our confidential services for individuals, families and organisations can be life changing and help build stronger and more supported communities.”
Moulana Suleman Laher, an Imam in Batley and community lead for Moving Ahead said: “As a Muslim scholar, a member of the Asian community and resident of Kirklees, I am deeply committed to working with Change Grow Live Kirklees to help as many people as possible. Drug and alcohol addiction needs to be addressed in a holistic manner with structured support, which CGL Kirklees can provide, and with community and spiritual support that people like me can help with. We are proud to be working with CGL to deliver a drop-in session collaboratively and would encourage anyone affected by addiction to get support early.
Change Grow Live Kirklees have an office in Dewsbury and Huddersfield and can be
contacted on 01484 353333 or email: referrals.chart@cgl.org.uk
