§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of drug addicts known to him at a given date in each of the years 1963 to 1966 and on the latest available date in 1967, distinguishing between those addicted to heroin, cocaine and other drugs, respectively, in each of the age groups, under 15 years old, 15 to 20, 20 to 25 and over 25 years old, respectively.
§ Mr. TaverneI regret that the precise information asked for is not readily available. Table A shows the number of persons in the United Kingdom known to be addicted to the main drugs of addiction. Table B shows the number of persons, by age groups, known to be addicted to drugs specified in Part I of the Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1965, and the number of those persons addicted to heroin.
TABLE A 1963 1964 1965 1966 Total Number 635 753 927 1,349 Drugs Number taking morphine 172 162 160 178 Number taking heroin 237 342 521 899 Number taking cocaine 171 211 311 443 Number taking pethidine 107 128 102 131 NOTE: The figures refer to drugs used alone or in combination with other drugs. Thus an addict using both heroin and cocaine will be included under both drugs, and all but a small number of the cocaine addicts shown above are also using heroin.
TABLE B Ages 1963 1964 1965 1966 Under 20 17 40 145 329 Under 20 taking heroin 17 40 134 317 20 to 34 184 257 347 558 20 to 34 taking heroin 162 219 319 479 35 to 49 128 138 134 162 35 to 49 taking heroin 38 61 52 83 50 and over 298 311 291 286 50 and over taking heroin 20 22 16 20 Age unknown 8 7 10 14 NOTE: The numbers shown as taking heroin in each age group are included in the immediately preceding total numbers of addicts.