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Drugs: Misuse

Answer

With regard to the percentage of those brought into a police station who test positive for Class A drugs, drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine/crack) in police custody came into operation from 2003 across 30 BCUs as part of the drug interventions programme. Since that time the programme has expanded in a phased approach to 66 BCUs in 2004 and some 107 BCUs in 2005.Only offenders arrested or charged with a ““trigger offence””—largely acquisitive crime related offences—are required to provide a sample to be tested for specified Class A drugs.Between 2003 and 2005 the programme operated drug testing at the point of charge; from 2005 to the present time the programme operated drug testing at the point of arrest. The average rate of positive tests for specified Class A drugs for offenders charged with a trigger offence was:

	Percentage
2003-04	54
2004-05	46
2005-06	45
2006-07	37

The figure for number of offenders entering treatment through DIP includes individuals from both DIP intensive areas (i.e. the 107 BCUs operating drug testing and related interventions) and the non intensive areas of the programme. Offenders from the DIP non intensive BCUs are not drug tested.The data on the proportion of those who test positive and voluntarily agree to treatment are not available in the format requested. The drug interventions programme does not routinely hold data on those entering treatment only as a result of a positive drug test.From 2003 the numbers of offenders entering treatment voluntarily through the drug interventions programme are as follows:

	Number
2003-04	1,950
2004-05	16,517
2005-06	24,557
2006-07	39,903

Since the programme began in April 2003 to January 2008, almost 120,000 drug misusing offenders have entered into treatment through DIP.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

474 c2335-6W; 200241

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Drugs Misuse

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk