Primary-aged children are among almost 300 pupils suspended or excluded from Norfolk schools for taking drugs in the past year, it has emerged. In total, 259 pupils were suspended for using illicit substances, including two children in primary schools. A further 11 secondary-age pupils were permanently excluded.
The figures come from an investigation into drug use among Norfolk children, which also found that 120 young people accessed drug and alcohol treatment in the county last year. Nearly one in ten of those seeking treatment were under the age of 14.
Ministers say social media is making it easier for young people to buy illicit substances online, contributing to a rise in the number of children seeking help nationally. Officials also warn that access to treatment can depend heavily on where a child lives, describing a “postcode lottery” for support.
What the data shows
Data obtained by the BBC Shared Data Unit found that more than 16,000 under-18s in England were in drug and alcohol treatment last year – a 13% increase on the previous year.
Norfolk is an exception to the national trend, with a small fall in numbers. However, the drop was marginal – from 125 children in 2023–24 to 120 in 2024–25, a decrease of just 4%.
Of those 120 children:
- 8% were under 14, and
- 46% were aged 15 or younger.
Most were boys, with 80 boys seeking treatment compared with 40 girls.
Multiple substances, rising ketamine use
Children often presented with problems involving multiple substances, but cannabis was the most common issue, with 100 young people accessing help.
There were also:
- 45 children needing help with alcohol
- 25 with ketamine use
- 25 with nicotine
- 20 with ecstasy
- 10 with cocaine
- 5 with benzodiazepines
- 5 with solvent abuse
There were no reports of children receiving treatment for opiates or crack cocaine.
Notably, this is the first time nationally that the number of children reporting problems with ketamine has exceeded those needing help for ecstasy, reflecting a sharp rise in ketamine use among young people.
Schools and courts accounted for the majority of referrals, and drug use was found to have a significant impact on children’s education.
Compared with other parts of England, Norfolk ranks among the top 50 areas for the number of children receiving treatment. In neighbouring Suffolk, 90 children accessed treatment, with 11% under the age of 14.
‘A postcode lottery’
Professor Dame Carol Black, the government’s independent adviser on drugs, said a range of factors were driving the rise in under-18s needing treatment. These include the availability of drugs, the role of social media in online purchasing, wider social pressures, and a “very worrying increase” in mental health problems among young people.
Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza warned that access to treatment remains inconsistent.
“Children should never be denied health care because of where they live,” she said. “I’m deeply concerned that too many children face this kind of postcode lottery in accessing specialist support for dealing with drugs and addiction.” She added that long waits were causing some children’s conditions to worsen, leaving them “frustrated and anxious not knowing when help will be given”.
She has called for a cross-government approach to children’s health and wellbeing, with prevention and early intervention “at its heart”.
Council and government response
Norfolk County Council says it is confident children are receiving timely support. Councillor Fran Whymark, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said the number of children in treatment had “remained stable over the past year”.
She said the council commissions services from the Matthew Project’s Unity Service, which works proactively with schools and other partners to identify and support young people. The service offers confidential advice and aims to ensure treatment begins within three weeks of referral, in line with national targets.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the government was committed to ensuring people with drug or alcohol problems can access support.
They said that from 2026, treatment and recovery funding would be channelled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13bn allocated across three years, including £3.4bn ring-fenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Support would also be expanded through the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, with a greater focus on prevention.
The figures point to more than a public health issue. That children so young are encountering drugs – and in some cases needing formal treatment – is likely to unsettle many parents and teachers. While Norfolk’s numbers have not risen sharply, they underline how early substance use has become part of some children’s lives, raising difficult questions about prevention, support and the pressures young people are facing long before adulthood.
This article is adapted from a report by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
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