Crack is a rock form of cocaine and is considered highly addictive

Turning Point Cymru said rising use of the Class A drug was transforming the drugs market and agencies need to change to meet the challenge.

It has called on the Welsh Assembly Government to draw up a 'crack plan' for tackling the drug abuse problem.

The assembly government said Turning Point's report was based on UK figures and did not accurately represent Wales.

Turning Point Cymru said help for drug users was focused on heroin addiction even though more people now used crack.

The social care charity, which has operated in Cardiff since 2000, said part of the difficulty it has in providing adequate services is knowing how many people are using the drug.

Over the past five years there has been a steady increase in crack use, any street frontline service will tell you the same. Steve Lyons, Inroads Drugs Project

It puts the number of crack users in the UK at 79,000 but has no firm figure for Wales.

However, a report by Special Project Manager Glyn Davies claims "substantial quantities" of crack are finding their way on the streets of Wales and "the amount appears to be rising".

He said this was reflected in one Cardiff drug treatment services reporting it had 160 crack users among its clients.

"More worryingly, there is a particularly chaotic group of people who use both crack and heroin heavily, who face severe health and social problems and are responsible for a disproportionate level of drug-related crime," said Mr Davies.

Funding cut

His report claimed treatment services were not adequately placed to deal with crack users and were not meeting their needs.

Mr Davies said: "It's frustrating in that drug treatment services have been providing data to the assembly but we haven't had the information back.

"When we go to write reports, we're told the information is not available. That does not help in trying to secure (drug treatment) services. We end up with services as we currently see them."

The UK Government introduced the National Crack Plan in 2002, highlighting 37 areas of England where rise in the use of the drug made it a particular problem for communities.

Steve Lyons, of Inroads Drugs Project, said the Cardiff-based treatment project had 160 crack users among its clients in April 2005, before its funding for the officer dealing with the service was cut.

Claims

He said: "You can double or treble that number (of crack users in Cardiff) easily, we only see people who come forward when they need treatment.

"Over the past five years there has been a steady increase in crack use, any street frontline service will tell you the same."

A spokeswoman for the assembly government said Turning Point's document was a UK report and did not reflect the picture in Wales.

She said: "The number of crack cocaine users in Wales in no way mirrors the worst problem areas in England.

"We have no evidence to suggest that there are more crack users than heroin users in Wales and a recent needs assessment conducted on behalf of the Swansea and Cardiff Community Safety Partnerships supports this view.

'Treatment'

She added: "At a national level we are keeping the situation under constant review taking account of information from drug seizures and testing and information from a range of agencies.

"The new Welsh Substance Misuse Database is now operational and will shortly begin to provide detailed information about the drug use of those entering treatment."

Edward Wyn Williams, whose two sons were addicted to drugs in the past, said there was not enough support.

"People who try to turn young people away from drugs are working hard but there isn't enough of them." said Mr Williams, from Anglesey.

"It isn't a problem to get help but the minute you're taken off the drugs there isn't support to carry on from there".

Mr Williams told BBC Radio Cymru that he had learnt that drugs can affect any family.

"It doesn't matter how important you think you are, your children are no different and the moment they're out no one can keep them under control".