A Rochdale Perspective on Addiction: Women’s Voices, Community Realities, Local Lessons

When addiction is discussed in policy or service settings, it is often framed around individuals, treatment pathways, or enforcement. But when women in Rochdale speak about addiction, a different picture emerges—one rooted in family life, cultural expectation, and the everyday environments in which people live.

This focus group, delivered in Rochdale in partnership with The Salik Project UK, Kashmir Youth Project, and High Level Northern Trust, brought together women from Pakistani, Bengali, and English backgrounds, aged between their 20s and 70s. The discussion offers grounded insight into how addiction is understood and experienced locally, particularly within South Asian communities.

Addiction is experienced as a family issue

Women consistently described addiction as something that affects whole households, not just the person using substances. They spoke about partners, children, and extended family members absorbing the emotional and practical impact—often long before any formal support is accessed. One participant said simply, “They don’t realise what the family is going through… the partners, the kids, everything.”

Several women described how trying to intervene during active addiction can strain relationships, with one noting that you can become “the biggest enemy” when attempting to help. This highlights the complexity families face when support is limited and guidance unclear.

A gendered burden within the home

A strong and repeated theme was the role of women—particularly mothers—in managing addiction-related crises. Women spoke about being expected to hold families together, shield children, and navigate difficult situations, while also being blamed when things go wrong, especially in relation to sons.

The emotional toll of this responsibility was evident. Anxiety, exhaustion, and low mood were spoken about as ongoing experiences rather than exceptional circumstances, reflecting pressures that are often invisible to services until crisis point.

Stigma, izzat, and delayed engagement

Cultural dynamics played a significant role in shaping responses to addiction. Women spoke openly about izzat (honour) and the fear of community judgement, which often leads families to stay silent, deny problems, or attempt to manage them privately. Several participants said they would rather speak to a stranger than a relative because of the risk of gossip or lasting reputational harm.

These accounts help explain why engagement with services may occur late, and why early warning signs are often managed within the family rather than shared with professionals.

Culturally shaped crisis responses

Women described responses they have seen locally when addiction becomes visible, including sending someone abroad, removing them from the area, or arranging marriage in the hope that responsibility will bring change. These approaches were widely criticised by participants, who viewed them as shifting the problem rather than addressing it. As one woman asked, “Why should another person’s life be destroyed?”

The Rochdale environment

Participants described Rochdale as a place where drug use and dealing feel highly visible. Women spoke about seeing activity “in broad daylight,” particularly around areas such as Rochdale Interchange, and near homes, mosques, and garages. Over time, some described becoming accustomed to this visibility, even though it continued to generate fear and concern. One woman summed this up by saying, “It’s everywhere.”

This constant exposure heightened anxiety as parents and community members, reinforcing a sense that risk is ongoing and difficult to escape.

Social media and changing pressures

Women also spoke about how digital environments have changed the landscape for families in Rochdale. Children were described as being on their phones “24 hours,” with parents feeling they cannot always see what their children are exposed to or who they are interacting with. While social media was not described as a direct route into drugs, it was seen as amplifying influence and making parental guidance more challenging than in previous generations.

Confidence in systems

Across the discussion, women expressed limited confidence that systems intervene early or effectively. Police, prison outcomes, and government support were often spoken about with scepticism, contributing to a feeling that families are left to cope alone until situations escalate.

Why this matters locally

These conversations offer insight that is difficult to access through routine service data. They show how addiction is already being managed—often quietly—within families and communities across Rochdale, long before statutory services become involved. Listening to these experiences helps explain patterns of late presentation, disengagement, and mistrust, and underlines the importance of culturally informed, community-rooted engagement as part of any effective local response.