MP calls for more help for monkey dust addicts

An MP has called on the prime minister to help tackle the "significant problems" in her constituency caused by the drug monkey dust.

Allison Gardner, who represents Stoke-on-Trent South, said a lack of joined-up working between services in the city was making it harder for addicts to recover.

She said she had launched a task force aimed at addressing service gaps and asked for a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer to discuss the problem of synthetic cathinones such as monkey dust.

The prime minister acknowledged the threat posed by drugs such as monkey dust and said the government was investing in services for addicts.

"Alongside deploying new detection methods at the border to seize drugs, we are investing in better mental health support and drug addiction treatment, with almost £26m for Stoke-on-Trent," he said.

"I will ask a health minister to discuss her important work with her."

Dr Gardner told the House of Commons she had recently met two men, Graham and Malcolm, who had shared their experiences of addiction to monkey dust.

"They shared the challenges that they faced in recovery – challenges caused by a lack of joined-up working between local services, including mental health and housing services," she said.

She added that she was setting up a taskforce to address gaps in provision and learn from local projects such as SPHERE.

The scheme was launched by homelessness charity Concrete in 2023, and aims to help psychoactive substance users get access to housing and support.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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