Format
Book
Publication Date
Published by / Citation
The Home Office (UK)
Original Language

English

Country
United Kingdom
Keywords
drug use trends
England and Wales

Drug Use in England and Wales

Illegal drug use trends among 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales are examined in a new UK Home Office release based on the findings from the 2016 – 2017 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).

The survey used a representative sample of household residents in England and Wales.

The release covers:

  • Trends and extent of drug use among adults
  • Trends and extent of drug use among 16- to 24-year-olds, specifically
  • Frequency of drug use
  • Drug use by lifestyle factors
  • New psychoactive substances (NPS) and nitrous oxide use
  • Obtainability of illegal drugs

Among the findings, notable are:

  • 1 in 12 16- to 59-year-olds had taken drugs in the last year
  • 1 in 5 16- to 24-year-olds had taken drugs in the last year
  • 2% of adults were classed as frequent drug users
  • Cannabis was the most popular drug
  • Powdered cocaine and ecstasy saw a decrease in use
  • Non-prescribed use of prescription-only painkillers was higher among men than women
  • Higher life satisfaction entails a decreased probability of non-prescribed use of prescription-only painkillers
  • NPS use reduced in the last year, largely as a result of a decrease in male users
  • Around 50% of NPS users were aged 16 to 24
  • Men were statistically more likely to use nitrous oxide than women
  • 35% of 16- to 59-year-olds reported that it would be easy for them to personally obtain drugs within 24 hours if so desired

Click here to access the full report.