Cumbria is losing the war on drugs, a senior county councillor has warned in response to a shocking new report.

It revealed that drug-related deaths in the county are "significantly" higher than the rest of England - with more than 35 children a year losing a parent to drug overdoses.

Anne Burns, cabinet member for children's services, said the key must be to stop addictions before they start.

The Labour councillor said children's services staff find themselves dealing with many of those youngsters who are left without a mum or dad as a result of drug addiction.

"We see the impact of it in children's services. When we look at the children we look after, it's either due to drugs, alcohol or poverty. There has got to be a better way," she said.

"We are losing the war on drugs, unless we can get communities to stop this before it starts."

Over the last five years, the Cumbrian districts with the highest drug-related death rates are Carlisle and Barrow.

But latest statistics show Barrow has now overtaken the city.

Speaking at a meeting of the Cumbria Health and Wellbeing Board, Mrs Burns, who represents the Hindpool area of Barrow, said she was "shocked" by the report and called for urgent action.

"There are also children taking these legal highs. Some as young as 12 and 13. It's just shocking. Once they get into that they think it's easy, and end up in this cycle of addiction.

"I do not know what we can do about it.

"We can write all the strategies we like but unless we can get to people early enough, I do not know whether it will work," she added.

The Strategic Approach to Drug Harm report was compiled by Cumbria's public health director Colin Cox.

It also explained how agencies across the county are working together to try to tackle the problems and reduce deaths.

Mr Cox asked the committee to agree a new approach to the use of the heroin substitute methadone in Cumbria.

County council leader Stewart Young, who chairs the committee, questioned whether the increase in deaths could be linked to a shift away from long term use of methadone, which can be prescribed to addicts.

"There has been a shift to recovery and abstinence, but could a byproduct of that be an increase in deaths?" he asked.

Mr Cox said that rather than simply "parking people on methadone long term, the recovery model has been positive in that it has helped a lot of people come off heroin for good".

But he said there are always some who are not ready, and denying them methadone could place them more at risk of death.

"We need to have a bit of flexibility in the system to get people ready to move towards the recovery model," he said.

This approach was agreed by the board.

New drugs posing fresh threat to Cumbria

A wave of new drugs like 'spice' - also known as the Zombie drug - are posing a fresh threat to Cumbria.

A warning about these 'psychoactive' substances is included in the shocking new report about drug harm in Cumbria.

These drugs contain chemicals that produce similar effects to 'traditional' drugs like cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.

Although often referred to as legal highs, the majority are no longer legal.

Robin Talbot, interim chairman of the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said there is anecdotal evidence that use of these drugs is growing fast in cities like Manchester - where the growing 'spice' problem has been well documented.

Mr Cox said these substances were a new challenge to drug and alcohol support services, who are well trained to deal with drugs like heroin and cocaine but not these new threats.

The drug 'spice' - sometimes referred to as 'fake weed' - has been on the rise in many cities across the UK.

There have been high-profile reports of tribes of people in Zombie-like states staggering around city centres and passing out, often in the middle of the day.

Some witnesses have referred to it as being like a scene from zombie apocalypse drama the Walking Dead.

Just how serious is drug use in Cumbria?

  • Approximately 36 children a year lose a parent to drug-poisoning death in Cumbria
  • Deaths involving illegal drugs are significantly higher than the national average
  • Overdose and drug poisoning accounted for 4,257 ambulance call outs between 2013 and 2015
  • Illegal drug poisoning resulted in 153 hospital admissions in 2014/15, while drug-related mental illness led to 688
  • One in five male suicides and almost half of female suicides in Cumbria are due to drug-poisoning
  • Cumbria Police recorded 881 drug offences in 2016/17, mainly in Barrow, Eden and Carlisle
  • A disproportionate number of child deaths in Cumbria happen in families with parental substance misuse
  • There are currently 1400 adults receiving specialist drug treatment and 800 receiving specialist alcohol treatment.