Thousands of Somerset residents will continue to receive support for alcohol and drug addition after front-line funding was committed until 2029.

Somerset Council provides funding for the Somerset Drugs and Alcohol Service (SDAS), which currently provides support for around 5,000 Somerset resident dealing with alcohol dependency and around 2,000 experiencing drug dependency (including opiates and crack cocaine).

The council faces a projected £73m budget gap for the coming financial year, relying heavily on council tax rises and a third year of 'exceptional financial support' from central government to balance its books.

Despite this, the ruling Liberal Democrat administration agreed on January 7 to guarantee funding for this "essential" service for the next three years – at an annual cost of up to £5.4m.

SDAS has been run since 2014 by Turning Point, a national charity which specialises in providing drug and alcohol support services.

The new contract will run until 2029, with the option to extend it for a further three years if the council is satisfied with its outcomes – meaning the total contract could be worth in excess of £32m.

Councillor Graham Oakes, portfolio holder for public health, climate change and the environment, spoke warmly about the service when the council's executive committee met in Taunton on January 7.

Mr Oakes (who represents the Yeovil East division) said: "SDAS provides life-saving care to those affected by drugs and alcohol across Somerset.

"The way that the government has changed the funding for this, so it's now a three-year deal, allows the operator to invest and for us to commission with confidence, allowing us to expect further improvement.

"This service is vital to the people of Somerset. These are small numbers in relation to the population, but if you look at it in the context of individuals, families and businesses, it is a major issue for this county.

"This service literally does save lives."

Council leader Bill Revans praised the work of the service, stating it would have a positive impact not only on people's lives but on how the council allocated funding for local services.

Mr Revans (North Petherton) said: "This issue has affected my family personally through my late sister, and I do really appreciate the work that goes on.

"I'm aware that the impact that addiction issues have on our wider services, so I very much see this as a preventative initiative.

"It is very worthwhile to take a moment to think about the impact this service has on our spending on adult social care and children's social care."

Councillor Wakefield, portfolio holder for adult's services, housing and homelessness, said she was "absolutely delighted" by the news, and urged the council's housing team to work closely with the service going forward.

Ms Wakefield (Blackdown and Neroche) said: "The three-year funding will be transformative in all sorts of ways, in terms of planning people's care over a much longer period.

"The work that can be done with our housing team with complex cases is going to be so, so good.

"I actually acted for Turning Point when was a solicitor in London in the 1980s. They are a very long-established service and I'm glad that we have a long-term relationship with them with in Somerset."

Several opposition councillors welcomed the contract announcement while urging SDAS to work more closely with young people, citing reports in the national press of rising ketamine use.

Councillor Mark Healey (Conservative, Huntspill) said: "Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic. It has hallucinogenic effects – it dulls perception of sight and sound, and makes sure the user feels disconnected.

"Taking ketamine can make you feel dreamlike, detached, chilled, relaxed, happy, confused or nauseated.

"As a council, we cannot afford not to support SDAS for the next three years. Ketamine is affecting our children – there are drug dealers within our schools."

Alison Bell, the council's interim director of public health, responded: "It's really important that all areas of Somerset are reached with this service.

"I absolutely share your concerns, having been out in Glastonbury recently and seen the impact of ketamine use, with people living on the street. It is widely accessible within our communities."

Councillor Tom Power (Conservative, Wincanton and Bruton) said: "Working with schools is very important, but we also need to look at our colleges and our sixth forms."

Councillor John Cook-Woodman – who defected from the Tories to Reform UK just days after the meeting – added: "Are we also working with our boxing clubs and our martial arts clubs?

"For some young people, that strict discipline regime and strong leadership can really be transformative – I've seen it in the area that I represent [Highbridge and Burnham South].

"Seeing the turnaround in young people who go to those jobs is just remarkable."