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27 A reduction in the use of drugs by 16 – 24 year-olds in the last year (England and Wales):
- a) use of Class A drugs; and
- b) frequent use of any illicit drug.
a) Use of Class A drugs.
Baseline and trends: The baseline year is 1998, which marks the start of the Government’s Drug Strategy. Class A drug use among young people has remained stable since 1998 (in England and Wales). The latest information for 2005/06 shows 8.4 per cent reporting use of any Class A drug during the last year and 4 per cent reporting use of a Class A drug during the last month.
| 1996 | Baseline 1998 |
2000 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Use in the last year |
9.2% | 8.6% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 8.9% | 8.5% | 8.3% | 8.4% |
Use in the last month |
4.2% | 3.6% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 4.0% |
Definition: The drug misuse self-completion component of the British Crime Survey asks about drug use over the respondent’s lifetime, in the last year and in the last month. The data presented cover England and Wales. Class A drugs asked about in the survey are: cocaine, crack, ecstasy, hallucinogens (LSD and magic mushrooms) and opiates (heroin and methadone). There are other Class A drugs but their use is comparatively rare. The table includes revised figures for young people’s drug use for the period 2001/02 to 2004/05 to reflect amendments to weighting procedures.
Information on drug use among children aged 11–15 is monitored using an annual survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among secondary school children. This provides a cross-check on progress towards the target.
After 2000, the British Crime Survey changed from reporting calendar years to financial years.
b) Frequent use of any illicit drug.
Baseline and trends: Questions have been asked about frequency of drug use in the British Crime Survey since 2002/03. Frequent use of any drug has decreased from 11.6 percent in 2002/03 to 9.5 percent in 2005/06.
| 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Use of any drug more than once a month |
11.6% | 12.4% | 10.3% | 9.5% |
Definition: The drug misuse self-completion component of the British Crime Survey asks about drug use over the respondent’s lifetime, in the last year and in the last month. Frequent use is defined as taking a drug more than once a month. The data presented cover England and Wales. Any illicit drug includes: Class A drugs (detailed in part a above) and amphetamines, tranquillisers, anabolic steroids, cannabis, amyl nitrate and volatile substances. The table includes revised figures for young people’s drug use for the period 2002/03 to 2004/05 to reflect amendments to weighting procedures.
Information on drug use among children aged 11–15 is monitored using an annual survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among secondary school children. This provides a cross-check on progress towards the target.
Data source: British Crime Survey, England and Wales.
Further information
Further information about the British Crime Survey can be found at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/bcs1.html
The latest British Crime Survey report is Home Office Statistical Bulletin 15/06 – "Drug Misuse Declared: Findings from the British Crime Survey 2005/06" - England and Wales (October 2006). The site links to all Home Office Statistical Bulletins published in the last 12 months. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html
Other Home Office publications about drug use, some based on British Crime Survey figures can be accessed at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/drugs1.html
These include:
- A report on the Drug Harm Index:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2405.pdf - A report on the measurement of problem drug use:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr1606.pdf - Findings on drug use amongst vulnerable groups of young people:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/r254.pdf