Databank. Drug misuse

Databank

Drug misuse

The main findings for the six-month period ending 30 September 1999 were that the number of users reported as presenting to drug misuse agencies (30,545) was an increase of 7 per cent on the previous six-month period. Around half of those users were in their 20s and around one in seven were aged under 20. The ratio of males to females (3:1) was the same as in previous periods. Heroin was still the most frequently reported drug of use accounting for over half the users (59 per cent). The next most frequently reported main drugs of misuse were cannabis (11 per cent), methadone (9 per cent), amphetamines (8 per cent) and cocaine (7 per cent). The Regional Drug Misuse Databases are a key source of information for monitoring the government's ten-year strategy for tackling drug misuse, Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain. The bulletin is on the Internet at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/stats1.htmThe Department of Health figures are now the only regular source of information on drug misusers receiving treatment. The requirement for doctors to notify addicts to the Home Office was discontinued in May 1997.