text: Bingo hall toilets have tested positive for traces of Class A drugs amid evidence that an increasing number of pensioners are turning to hard drugs in retirement. Out of 17 bingo halls tested seven showed traces of cocaine, while another had traces of crack cocaine, a more dangerous form of the drug that is smoked, a newspaper investigation revealed. While the venues do let players as young as 18 in, the majority of attendees are elderly, and the discoveries mirror a spike in OAPs being treated for drug abuse. Out of 17 bingo halls tested across the country, seven had traces of cocaine in the toilets, while this one, in Hengrove Leisure Park, Bristol, was found to have traces of crack cocaine . Class A: While bingo halls allow people as young as 18 to visit, the majority of visitors are pensioners (pictured, Gala Bingo in Fishponds Road, Bristol, where traces of cocaine were found in the toilets) Figures from Public Health England show that 634 pensioners over 65 were treated for substance abuse in the last year, a rise of 20 per cent in a year, and double the rates seen in 2009. A probe by The Sun used swabs coated with special chemicals which reveal traces of cocaine to test toilet cubicles in bingo halls around the country. The news comes as hospital figures reveal a spike in drug abuse among the elderly, with 634 treated for addiction last year (stock picture) Two Gala Bingo premises in Clydebank Retail Park and Hawthorne Quadrant, Glasgow, tested positive for the drug, while Mecca Bingo in Coral Island, Blackpool, also showed traces of cocaine. Gala Bingo in Basildon and Mecca Bingo in Romford, Essex, also had positive results, as did Gala Bingo in Fishponds Road, Bristol. Another Bristol venue, Gala Bingo in Hengrove Leisure Park, tested positive for crack cocaine, which is highly addictive. Kate Lawrence, of drug charity Phoenix Futures, told the paper’s Grant Rollings that the findings were unsurprising, adding that many older people turn to drugs to combat loneliness, or to socialise. She said: 'We assume older people don't want to go out and socialise, but they do, particularly if they are lonely. Loneliness is a massive trigger for drugs. 'The older generation isn't so well informed because we have concentrated on warning young people about drugs. Representatives from both Mecca Bingo and Gala Bingo said that their companies took a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and banned taking them on their premises. Figures released early last year showed that, as well as record numbers of pensioners being hospitalised with drug problems, thousands more were seeking help to kick the habit. Busted: Mecca Bingo Blackpool was among the eight premises where traces of Class A drugs were found . Zero tolerance: Both Gala Bingo and Mecca Bingo said drug taking was banned in both of their venues (pictured, Gala Bingo in Basildon, where cocaine traces were discovered) More than 2,000 people in their 60s, 70s and 80s sought help for problems relating to substance abuse in 2013 - double the number that were receiving treatment only five years ago. The dramatic rise is being blamed on those who first experimented with drugs during the 1960s, and have continued to use them on and off over the subsequent decades. The majority of those requesting help last year suffered from addictions to heroin or crack cocaine, although there were significant numbers who had problems with cannabis, amphetamines and prescription medications.
target: Out of 17 bingo halls tested, seven revealed traces of cocaine in toilets .
  One, in Bristol, even tested positive for dangerous variant crack cocaine .
  Figures show spike in OAPs receiving hospital treatment for drug abuse .