Some people are waiting close to a year for addiction treatment in Wales' worst hotspot for drug deaths, WalesOnline can reveal. The delays could be "very dangerous" for people in desperate need of support, said one expert.
In three years up to the start of 2022 Swansea saw 119 deaths from drug poisoning – a significantly higher rate than any other area in Wales. Earlier this month we revealed the city's streets had been flooded with cheap, often fake, and potentially lethal prescription sedatives.
Now our freedom of information request has shown that eight out of the 83 people on a Swansea waiting list for alcohol or drug misuse treatment have been in that position for more than 41 weeks. Swansea Bay University Health Board released these figures showing the scale of delays for those who need help from its community drug and alcohol team. As of December 22 last year:
