[size=+1]Illegal drug use is in decline, NHS figures reveal[/size]
Fewer people of all ages are taking drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin, according to survey
Denis Campbell, health correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 January 2011 20.38 GMT
A generational shift away from drugs may be under way, addiction experts suggested today, as figures showed that illegal substances were declining in popularity among all age groups.
Fewer people in England and Wales are taking drugs such as cannabis, cocaine or heroin, according to an NHS survey, which confirmed that use was down in every age group from 11- to 59-year-olds. Twenty percent of 16- to 25-year-olds used illegal drugs in 2009-10, down from 22.6% the year before, and well below the 29.7% recorded in 1996. Similarly, the proportion of 11- to 15-year-olds who have ever used a banned substance has fallen from 29% in 2001 to 22% last year.
The survey found 8.6% of those aged 16 to 59, or 2.8 million people, were using illicit substances in 2009-10 – the lowest ever figure since drug-taking trends were first monitored in 1996, down from 10.1% in 2008-09, 11.1% in 1996 and the record 12.3% in 2003-04.
The proportion using class A drugs such as heroin or crack also fell year-on-year (3.7% to 3.1%), as did those taking cannabis (7.9% to 6.6%).
The findings were contained in the NHS Information Centre's annual survey of drugs misuse in England. It combines official sources of information on drug trends with extensive interviews with the public about their own habits to identify patterns of self-reported substance usage.
Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/27/illegal-drug-use-decline
Fewer people of all ages are taking drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin, according to survey
Denis Campbell, health correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 January 2011 20.38 GMT
A generational shift away from drugs may be under way, addiction experts suggested today, as figures showed that illegal substances were declining in popularity among all age groups.
Fewer people in England and Wales are taking drugs such as cannabis, cocaine or heroin, according to an NHS survey, which confirmed that use was down in every age group from 11- to 59-year-olds. Twenty percent of 16- to 25-year-olds used illegal drugs in 2009-10, down from 22.6% the year before, and well below the 29.7% recorded in 1996. Similarly, the proportion of 11- to 15-year-olds who have ever used a banned substance has fallen from 29% in 2001 to 22% last year.
The survey found 8.6% of those aged 16 to 59, or 2.8 million people, were using illicit substances in 2009-10 – the lowest ever figure since drug-taking trends were first monitored in 1996, down from 10.1% in 2008-09, 11.1% in 1996 and the record 12.3% in 2003-04.
The proportion using class A drugs such as heroin or crack also fell year-on-year (3.7% to 3.1%), as did those taking cannabis (7.9% to 6.6%).
The findings were contained in the NHS Information Centre's annual survey of drugs misuse in England. It combines official sources of information on drug trends with extensive interviews with the public about their own habits to identify patterns of self-reported substance usage.
Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/27/illegal-drug-use-decline
