Scores of children treated for drug and alcohol use

Some 270 pupils have been suspended or excluded from Norfolk schools for taking drugs in the past year, according to findings by the BBC Shared Data Unit.

In total, 259 pupils – including two primary school children – were suspended for using illicit substances, while 11 secondary school children were excluded.

The figures from an investigation into drug use also found that 120 Norfolk youngsters accessed treatment for drugs and alcohol last year, with nearly half of them aged under 16.

However, the number of children seeking help in the county decreased a little, from 125 cases in 2023-24, which bucked the national trend.

The data revealed that 16,000 under-18s were receiving drug and alcohol treatment in England last year, a 13% rise from 2023-24.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, of the 120 children seeking treatment in Norfolk, 8% were under the age of 14 and 46% were 15 or younger. Boys accounted for 80 of these children.

Cannabis use was the highest issue recorded, with 100 people accessing help for it.

There were 45 youngsters who needed help with alcohol, five for Benzodiazepines, 10 for cocaine, 20 for ecstasy, 25 for ketamine, 25 for nicotine and five for solvent abuse.

It is the first time the number of children reporting problems with ketamine abuse has exceeded those needing help for ecstasy, reflecting a stark increase nationally in rising rates of ketamine use.

The majority of referrals for drug treatment were from schools and the courts.

Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned of children facing long waits to access treatment, and she said she was "deeply concerned that too many children face this kind of postcode lottery in accessing specialist support".

Norfolk County Council said it was confident children were being offered proactive support.

Fran Whymark, the council's cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "The number of children and young people in treatment has remained stable over the past year."

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access help and support.

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