Transcript Extend of drug use

Social trends in alcohol and
drug use
Dr Marcus Roberts
Director of Policy and Membership
DrugScope
What is DrugScope
The UK’s leading independent centre of
expertise on drugs and drug use
 The UK’s largest drug sector
membership organisation
 Now incorporate the London Drug and
Alcohol Network (or LDAN)
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Drug trend headlines
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Heroin and crack cocaine most problematic
Heroin population growing older/trainspotting
Younger people – alcohol, cannabis and cocaine
- poly-drug use
New drugs – ketamine, GBL, legal highs
Overall illegal drug use has been relatively stable
for the past 10 years
Cocaine powder is the exception
New market in ‘home grown’ cannabis is
producing a stronger product
Extend of drug use
BCS 2009-10 – 16-59 year olds
Ever used
Any drug – 11.8 million (36.4%)
Any Class A drug – 4.9 million (15.0%)
Used in last year
Any drug – 2.8 million (8.6%)
Any Class A drug – 1 million (3.1%)
Used in last month
Any drug – 1.6 million (5%)
Any Class A drug – 0.5 million (1.4%)
NTA – Drug treatment figures
Figure
Number of problem drug users in England (i.e. dependent
on heroin or crack cocaine)
320,000
Number of adults in contact with treatment services
206,889
Number of adults effectively engaged in treatment for 12
weeks or more, or if leaving treatment before 12 weeks did
so free of dependency
192,367
Number of adults successfully completing treatment free of 23,680
dependency
Number of under 18s accessing young people’s substance 24,053
misuse services
Alcohol headlines
Development of alcohol treatment has
lagged behind treatment for illegal drugs
 Alcohol as a public health problem
 Alcohol-related crime and disorder
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The NHS spends £2.7bn each year to tackle alcoholrelated problems
In 2008/09 there were nearly 1,000,000 alcoholrelated hospital admissions
Nearly half of all violent assaults are thought to be
alcohol-related.
Policy headlines
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Links with social exclusion and marginalisation
Links with abuse, trauma and mental health
Links with crime, disorder and anti-social
behaviour
Abstinence and harm reduction
Recovery and social re-integration
Holism and ‘joined up’ approaches
Money, structures and priorities
Alcohol – pricing, taxation, licensing laws
Housing and anti-social behaviour
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Linked to consumption
- Immediate impact (e.g. smoking)
- Context of consumption (e.g. noisy parties)
- Resulting from consumption (e.g. intoxication, alcohol related
violence – nb including domestic violence)
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Linked to production, distribution and supply
- Producing drugs
- Selling drugs
- Production/consumption (e.g. ‘crack houses’)
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Possible links to more problematic and long-term use
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Rent payment
Property unkeep
Possible crime and offending
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Legal issues and responsibilities
Section 8 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
A person commits an offence if, being the occupier or
concerned in the management of any premises, he knowingly
permits or suffers any of the following activities:
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Production or attempted production of any controlled drug, or
Supply or attempted supply of any controlled drug, or
Preparing opium for smoking, or
Smoking cannabis or prepared opium.
Maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment or a fine or both.
Part 1 Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003
‘Premises where drugs used unlawfully’
Police or others have grounds to think
1. Class A drug use, production and supply and
2. Serious nuisance and disorder
After consultation with LA can issue a Closure Notice
restricting access to the building to the owner and to people who
normally stay there.
Then seek a Closure Order from the magistrates court
1. Police authorised to secure premises
2. Anyone attempting to remain on or re-enter the premises
without authority faces arrest.
‘The ring-fencing coming off Supporting
People has meant any progress we were
making in securing supported
accommodation for those who need it to
facilitate their reintegration and recovery has
disappeared. Accommodation problems are
the single greatest factor impacting negatively
on recovery’.
DrugScope consultation – September 2010
‘When service users leave one part of
recovery – say time-limited supported
housing – they are often left to their own
devices and placed in residual sink estates
where the cycle starts all over again’.
DrugScope consultation – September 2010
‘Housing is one of the most significant factors
– both temporary and long-term. Until there is
enough social housing our clients will always
be discriminated against. How can anyone
who is sleeping on the streets or “sofa
surfing” address substance misuse?’.
DrugScope consultation – September 2010
Marcus Roberts
Director of Policy and Membership
DrugScope
Tel: 020 7529 7556
E-mail: [email protected]
DrugScope website: www.drugscope.org.uk