It's the prescription drug said to be 'absolutely rife' on the streets of Manchester. As the Manchester Evening Newsreported last week, pregabalin, normally used to treat nerve damage, epilepsy and anxiety, is being increasingly used among the city centre's rough sleepers and drug addicts.
Linked to a growing number of deaths in England and Wales in recent years, it's being sold for just 50p a tablet in places - and experts fear that because it's commonly taken in combination with other substances, such as heroin, crack and Spice, it could lead to a spike in overdoses.
It's understood much of the pregabalin supply in Manchester is coming from Bury New Road in Strangeways - an area which police have long acknowledged has 'deep-rooted
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