Society in Northern Ireland is breaking down with high levels of unemployment, family splits and addiction to drugs and drink, a report has warned.
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Key findings from the think-tank study have revealed that Northern Ireland has the highest level of economic inactivity in the UK, with the unemployment rate almost doubling in the last two years.
More than one in 10 people aged 35 to 64 are on anti-depressants, while 30,000 use cannabis. Drug-related deaths are up 100-fold in the last 40 years.
The divorce rate is at more than five times the level it was 40 years ago and one in five households are single parent families.
The report was carried out by influential centre-right organisation the Centre for Social Justice.
The group was established in 2004 by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith in a bid to tackle societal issues.
It says that government in Northern Ireland must look beyond the legacy of the Troubles to reverse the decline.
"The political system in Northern Ireland, primarily concerned with the necessity of delivering political stability, must begin to provide answers to the severe social problems outlined here, with the aim of reversing intergenerational social breakdown," it stated.
However, Gavin Poole from the organisation explained that many of the problems are not related to the country's violent past.
He says the case of Northern Ireland is very similar to what has been seen across the UK in recent years.
"Whilst there are unique circumstances in Northern Ireland the issues surrounding poverty are actually the same across the UK," he told UTV.
"It looks a very grim picture but it isn't unique to here.
"What we were asked to do was look at the specific issues surrounding Northern Ireland, looking at the past but also beyond the Troubles and asking what's different and what solutions can be applied."
SDLP Leader Margaret Ritchie said people in Northern Ireland aren't being provided with enough incentive to get off benefits and back into work.
"Northern Ireland currently lacks the normal economic incentives that make it worthwhile helping people off-benefit and into work," the South Down MP said.
"At the moment if someone goes off-benefit in Northern Ireland, it is London that benefits from the saving. Similarly if someone previously on benefit starts working, the additional tax revenue goes into the coffers in London.
"There is lack of employment opportunities here for benefit recipients to migrate to and there is also a general scarcity of affordable childcare provision. Moreover, due to the conflict here we have a genuinely higher level of physical disability."
Mr Poole said that while the findings of the report make for grim reading, there were many positive examples of solutions already in place in the country.
"There are some fantastic examples of best practice going on in Northern Ireland which we've been able to export back to England and say look what's happening over here," he added.
"There are some really good projects going on in communities so while it looks grim reading if you look at just problems, but if you look at the solutions it is actually quite remarkable."
"Society is not broken but there are pockets which are breaking down."
The report makes a number of recommendations for tackling the social issues.
These included reform of the tax and benefits system, the introduction of early intervention programmes to help troubled families, tackling educational failure and placing recovery at the heart of addiction treatment.
© UTV News