HL Deb 23 November 1983 vol 445 cc334-5WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures they are taking to obtain reliable information about the true extent of heroin use and addiction among young people who are not known through official sources, in view of the disturbing increase in heroin addiction and in light of the research referred to in the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that figures derived from the Addicts Index are a serious underestimation of the gravity of the problem; and

Whether they are satisfied that sufficient resources will be made available to ensure that future developments in heroin addiction are closely monitored, and what steps they are taking to this end.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)

Official estimates of trends in drug misuse in the United Kingdom are based on published statistics of seizures, offences, and notifications of addicts, supported by information from the police and the agencies concerned with treatment and rehabilitation. These estimates can however provide only a partial indication of the prevalence of drug misuse. Research commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Security in 1980 suggests that the total number of those dependent on opioid drugs in the United Kingdom may be five times the number recorded in the Home Office Addicts Index on the basis of notifications received from doctors.

The Government have recently given a high priority to research into the epidemiology of drug misuse, but it is important to achieve a balance between epidemiological research and research on other aspects of drug misuse. In response to the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on treatment and rehabilitation, the Government announced last December a central funding initiative under which applications are now being considered for funds to support local studies of the size and nature of the problems associated with the misuse of drugs. The Department of Health and Social Security are also currently funding a project to assess the prevalence of drug misuse in Bristol.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which has a statutory responsibility for advising the Government on all aspects of drug misuse, is currently reviewing its own requirements for information. We will consider the scope for additional research and collection of data in the light of its conclusions.