§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated level of use is of(a) cannabis, (b) heroin and (c) cocaine in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [145783]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThere is no single and definitive measure of drug use. However, self-reported levels of use among a representative sample of people aged 16 to 59 and living in households in England and Wales are available from the British Crime Survey (BCS). Information on the levels of use from the BCS is given in the table. The full reports are available from the Library and on the Home Office website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pubsintrol.html.
Percentages of respondents reporting use of cannabis, cocaine and heroin, 16 to 59-year-olds in England and Wales Cannabis Cocaine Heroin 1994 Ever 21 2 1 Last year 8 1— 1— Last month 5 1— 1— 1996 Ever 22 3 1 Last year 9 1 1— Last month 5 1— 1— 1998 Ever 25 3 1 Last year 9 1 1— Last month 5 1— 1— 1 Less than 0.5 per cent. Source:
British Crime Survey 1994, 1996, 1998 (Drug Misuse Declared in 1998: results from the BCS, Home Office Research Study 197)