§ 38. Mr. Portilloasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the level of heroin abuse.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government are deeply concerned about the scale of heroin misuse, especially among young people.
There was an increase from 4,118 to 5,864 (approximately 42 per cent.) in the number of addicts notified to the Home Office in 1983, of whom some 80 per cent. were reported as being addicted to heroin, either alone or in combination with other drugs. Provisional figures suggest that the increase in notifications in 1984 was of the order of 20 to 25 per cent.
The Government are taking vigorous action, across a broad front, to combat the trafficking and misuse of all drugs, including heroin. The Government's overall strategy and its recent initiatives are described in a review ("Tackling Drug Misuse: A Summary of the Government's Strategy") which we are publishing today, copies of which are being sent to all hon. and right hon. Members.