§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of young people who have used an illegal drug by the time they have reached the age of 24 years. [26480]
§ Mr. BoatengInformation from the 1996 British Crime Survey shows that 49 per cent. of people in England and Wales aged 20–24 had taken drugs.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the numbers of cannabis users who(a) first use tobacco cigarettes as a gateway to cannabis and (b) use cannabis as their first gateway drug. [26475]
§ Ms JowellAlthough most problematic drug users will also have used cannabis and other substances, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology report of May 1996 states that the vast majority of cannabis users do not progress to drug abuse or dependency, and most never try another drug. In the absence of clear evidence, the extent to which some substances may act as a gateway to others remains a matter of debate.