§ 34. Mr. Moynihanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has of the trend in crack and cocaine addiction; and what new measures are being taken to interdict the trade and punish offenders.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of new addicts notified to the Home Office for addiction to cocaine, either alone or with other drugs, was 345 (1983), 471 (1984) and 490 (1985). The smoking of cocaine in its base form, including crack, remains rare in the United Kingdom. Much of our overall strategy against drug misuse is relevant to cocaine, in particular the allocation of £1 million for reducing cocaine production and trafficking in South America; deployment by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise of additional investigation staff against cocaine smuggling; and the posting of United Kingdom drugs liaison officers to relevant parts of the world. The Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986, which came fully into force last month, constitutes a powerful new weapon in the fight against traffickers in cocaine and other drugs.