Cumbria drugs deaths: The 'lightbulb moment' when I was given just a 10% chance to live

  • Video report by Ryan Dollard

Cumbria has one of the highest rates of drug related deaths across England and Wales, according to new figures.

The county's death rate is almost double the national average, with around 16 deaths linked to drugs poisoning per 100,000 people between 2019 and 2021.

In Carlisle, there were nearly three times as many drug related deaths compared with the country as a whole, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show.

This means the city ranks within the worst five places in England and Wales for drug deaths.

Laura, not her real name, said she ended up in intensive care for five weeks after overdosing on crack cocaine and heroin.

"My family were told I had a 90% chance of dying, a 10% chance of living but that I may never wake up," she said.

"That was my rock bottom - the lightbulb moment for me and my second chance at life."

Becky White, regional manager of Recovery Steps, said: "There isn't one single contributing factor to drug deaths. It's a multitude of things.

"Quite often, the people coming for treatment and support are older, some are chronically ill with underlying health conditions.

"Mental health issues go hand in hand in with substance misuse, and these factors significantly complicate the treatment we can offer."

Lucy Reed is a Team Leader for Recovery Steps in North Cumbria, and says there is much to be positive about for people thinking about starting their journey to recovery.

"I see success stories every day, we have visible recovery within our service and in our communities," she said.

"It's such an important part of what we do, we want to make sure that recovery is visible to those trying to address their issues so they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. People do recover, it happens every day."

Recovery Steps Cumbria provides an addiction support service across the county.

To get support for a substance abuse issue, contact Recovery Steps on 01946 350020.

Other services to help people with substance abuse are also available.