Drug Statistics

One in eight people seeking help for drug problems is under 20 and heroin continues to be the most frequently reported drug, according to statistics recently published by the Department of Health. They refer to the six months ending in March, 1997, and deal with people reporting drug misuse for the first time ever or for the first time in half a year.

Other findings show that there was a 4 per cent increase in the number of people (25,925) presenting to agencies. Over half (54 per cent) were in their twenties and the ratio of men to women was 3:1.

As favourite drug, heroin was the choice of 60 per cent of users, an increase from 48 per cent in 1994. A long way behind in second and third places come methadone and amphetamines, at 14 and 8 per cent each.

12 per cent of users who were known to have injected during the previous four weeks reported having shared equipment.

Information about misuse of alcohol was collected only where it counted as a subsidiary drug.