A report has found that more people in Rochdale are dying from avoidable deaths, with alcohol, drug use and smoking identified as key contributing factors. The findings highlight that rates of alcohol-related deaths are significantly higher than the national average, with a notable spike in 2020, around the time of the Covid pandemic.
Alcohol and drug harm in Rochdale
According to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), an estimated 2,905 people in the borough are dependent on alcohol. The latest town hall report states there is no evidence that more people are drinking, but “the harm caused is increasing.” A ‘Tackling Addiction’ report suggests this increased harm may result from long-term heavy drinking behaviours from a decade or more ago.
NDTMS data also estimates that 1,831 people in Rochdale use opiates and crack cocaine. The report says that excessive drinking, drug taking and smoking are leading to more avoidable deaths and sets out measures to tackle the issue and reduce consumption.
Prevention and treatment plans
For prevention, the council plans to create a refreshed drug and alcohol policy for schools from September 2026. Treatment efforts will include increased outreach work and follow-ups, as well as working with specific groups such as the homeless, women and those over 50. A new crack cocaine treatment pathway is also planned.
A new recovery service for those addicted to drugs and alcohol has been proposed. The local authority intends to collaborate with Trading Standards to crack down on underage sales and access to addictive products online.
Smoking rates and council actions
The report notes that smoking rates have declined, but the latest data shows 12.7 per cent of adults smoke, compared to the national average of 10.9 per cent. This equates to around 22,000 adult residents currently smoking. Hospital admission rates due to smoking are also higher than average, and an estimated £66.2m is spent annually on tobacco, including legal and illegal products.
Current efforts to reduce smoking include community stop smoking programmes, swapping vapes for cigarettes, workplace health checks and public health campaigns. New plans include expanding the drop-in stop smoking service across the borough in different languages, carbon monoxide blood tests, distribution of vape kits by March 2027 and workplace stop smoking events. Measures are also being introduced to reduce vaping and gambling.
The report reads: “Alcohol is woven into life across the Rochdale borough and when something becomes so normalised the harm it causes can become harder to see. Alcohol harm is not inevitable but reducing it requires us to act together on prevention, treatment, recovery, community leadership, crime reduction, road safety, children’s wellbeing and the wider conditions that contribute to harm.”
It adds: “Addiction is a chronic condition characterised by the compulsive use of a substance or engagement in a behaviour despite harmful consequences. Types of addiction include smoking, vaping, drug and alcohol use and gambling. We recognise that people’s decisions and actions don’t happen in a vacuum or in isolation, plus they are shaped by the environments in which we live, work and socialise.”
