London, Jul 10 (ANI): Just weeks after it was reported that the UK has become the cocaine capital of Europe, a new research reveals that a fifth of Britons have admitted to being addicted to drugs or know someone else who is.

According to shock figures released on July 9, about 19 percent of the population confessed, and one in 20 said that their family had been torn apart by drugs.

The research, commissioned by the charity DrugScope, has shown that more than a million people regularly snort the Class A substance, and that one in 50 Brits are addicts.

And more than one in 10 have a close pal who is hooked on drugs.

Addiction figures were higher among younger age groups, with more than a quarter (27 percent) of young people aged 18 to 34 admitting they had experienced drug dependence.

The report has led to calls for the Government to invest more money in drug treatment.

Seventy-seven per cent of the 1,039 adults surveyed agreed that it would be a “sensible use of Government money”.

And they were sympathetic to those affected, with 80 percent believing people became addicts “because of other problems in their lives”.

“Our research shows drug dependency is something that’s close to home for many people,” the Daily Star quoted DrugScope chief Martin Barnes as saying.

“Every drug user is someone’s daughter or somebody’s son.

“DrugScope supports calls for continued investment in drug treatment on the basis of compassion and effectiveness, not fear,” he added. (ANI)