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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the sale and use of illegal drugs in Worcestershire. [134510] Mr. Charles Clarke: It is the responsibility of local Drug Action Teams to assess the extent of drug misuse in their area and to plan and implement action to tackle the problem. I understand that the Worcestershire Drug Action Team commissioned a survey which reported on young people's perceptions of drug use in 1997-98. 73 per cent. of those sampled were between 14 and 16-years-old. 53 per cent. of the sample said they had been offered drugs. 31 per cent. were offered drugs by a friend. 39 per cent. of those who were offered drugs accepted the offer. Nationally, the extent of drug misuse among the population aged 16 to 59 is measured through the British Crime Survey (BCS), which includes a self-report element on drug misuse. The findings focus particularly on those aged 16 to 29. The BCS includes a regional, but not county-level, breakdown of statistics. In the 1998 survey--the latest available--21 per cent. of respondents aged 16 to 29 in the Midlands region had used any drug in the last year. Drug misuse among young teenagers is measured by a schools survey among secondary school children aged 11 to 15. Interim findings from the 1999 schools survey were published in May 2000. Nationally, 12 per cent. of pupils aged 11 to 15 had used any drug in the last year. The interim findings do not include a regional breakdown. The Government will publish, early in 2001, the results of a Key Informant Survey which will contribute to baseline estimates for the availability of drugs as perceived by practitioners in Drug Action Teams and police forces.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

355 c432W; 134510

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Drugs Misuse Schools Young people Surveys Worcestershire British Crime Survey

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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