Drug Use in England and Wales
Submitted by Ally
- 31 July 2017
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
