OFFICIALS are recommending research to help reduce the number of drug addicts dropping out of treatment schemes.

Almost 10,000 people in the region are receiving treatment for substance misuse, according to the latest figures being analysed by the North-East Public Health Observatory (NEPHO).

However, the region has a drop-out rate of 42 per cent, compared to only 16 per cent of people successfully completing treatment programmes.

Public health observatories were set up in 2000 to look at data available across the UK in order to highlight important trends. Figures show that almost 75 per cent of all addicts are men and nearly two-thirds are aged under 30.

The numbers in treatment vary markedly. In Darlington, 61 per cent of the estimated 772 drug users are in treatment. In Middlesbrough, the figure is 96 per cent of the estimated 1,109 problematic drug users, while in Stockton, 90 per cent of the 1,110 drug-takers are receiving treatment.

Northumberland is estimated to have 1,518 drug users, but only 39 per cent are in treatment. In Durham and Sunderland, there are an estimated 2,493 and 1,677 users respectively, but only 48 per cent are receiving treatment. Hartlepool is treating 57 per cent of its estimated 876 users.

According to NEPHO, there are also regional variations in the rates of users leaving treatment programmes before being drug-free.

NEPHO director John Wilkinson said: "This apparent wide variation is a cause for concern. This could be down to the way various drug action teams record their data or the variation could be real.

"Research must be undertaken to assess this issue and, if it is 'real', we recommend the drug agencies share their experiences, skills and knowledge to improve drug treatment retention rates."