Written question asked by Paul Flynn (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 April 1996. It was answered by John Bowis (Conservative) on Thursday, 18 April 1996 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: What estimate he has made of the numbers of people per thousand of the population who are addicted to (a) heroin and (b) alcohol; and what are the equivalent figures for (i) France, (ii) Italy, (iii) Spain and (iv) Holland. - Inc figs for UK.

Answer: Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people per thousand of the population who are addicted to (a) heroin and (b) alcohol; and what are the equivalent figures for (i) France, (ii) Italy, (iii) Spain and (iv) Holland.[25388] Mr. Bowis: The estimated rate of people addicted to heroin per thousand population for 1994 was 0.41{1,} based on a United Kingdom population aged 16 to 64. The overall rate of alcohol dependency per 1,000 population was 47{2}, based on a survey of psychiatric morbidity of 16 to 64-year-olds in Great Britain. The two figures are estimated on different bases and are not comparable. Equivalent figures are not available for France, Italy, Spain and Holland. The European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction is currently working to produce comparable information on drugs misuse in member states of the European Union. Sources {1} Home Office addicts index statistical bulletin "Statistics of Drug Addicts Notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom 1994" (Issue 17/95) Office of Population Censuses and Surveys--OPCS--population figures for 1994 (resident estimates). Assumption that all heroin addicts notified to the Home Office are aged between 16 and 64 years. {2} OPCS surveys of psychiatric morbidity in Great Britain bulletin no. 1 "The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among adults aged 16-64, living in private households, in Great Britain" 1994.

Secondary information