Referrals to agencies in the East of England about drug and alcohol use soar since the start of the pandemic NEW figures show the average monthly number of referrals made by the NSPCC Helpline about parental substance misuse in the East of England has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic. Referrals are made to external agencies such as the police and children’s services when concerns reported to the helpline are considered to be serious enough to warrant further investigation or if it is felt a family needs support. Nationally, the number of people calling the NSPCC Helpline with concerns about parents’ use of drugs and alcohol has increased by 66% since the first lockdown.