15 things about alcohol and other drugs you may have missed

March 2015

Andrew BrownDirector of Policy, Influence and EngagementDrugScope

@andrewbrown365

National take home naloxone schemes should aim to issue 20 times as many kits as there are opiate-related deaths per annum; and at least nine times as many.

Meaning there needs to be a minimum of 9,000 (and ideally 20,000) naloxone-kits issued annually across England.

Sources: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09687637.2014.981509, http://www.mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk/take-home-naloxone-and-naloxone-on-release-reduce-opioid-related-deaths/, http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/whyinvest2final.pdf, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/119120/consideration-of-naloxone.pdf

In 2011 the cost of deaths related to drug

misuse was

£2.4bn

The estimated cost of providing 20,000 take home naloxone kits is £600k

Numbers of people with drug and alcohol problems claiming sickness benefits

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14

IB/SDA Alcohol Misuse IB/SDA Drug Misuse ESA Alcohol Misuse ESA Drug Misuse

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statistics-on-ibsda-and-esa-claimants-obesity-alcohol-or-drug-misuse-severe-stress

Number of people starting drug or alcohol treatment under community and suspended sentence orders in England & Wales in 2013

9,122

5,886

4,510

2,601

DRUG TREATMENT ALCOHOL TREATMENT

Community Orders Suspended Sentence Orders

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/399389/impact-of-short-custodial-sentences-on-reoffending.PDF

1% 11%

7%

68%

12%0%1%0%0%

Offenders found guilty

of drug offences at all courts,

England and Wales, 2012 to 2013

Importation and Exportation

Production

Supply

Possession

Possession with intent to supply

Incitement to supply

Permitting premises to be used for illegal purposes

Vienna Convention offences

Miscellaneous offences

N = 115,112

1%

3%

14%

17%

65%

Proportion of offenders sentenced to

immediate custody for the

possession of drugs in England and

Wales, 12 months ending March 2014,

by the number of previous

convictions

No previous convictions

One previous conviction

Between two and five previous convictions

Between six and 10 previous convictions

More than 10 previous convictions

N = 1,242

Source: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2015-01-29.222733.h&s=drugs#g222733.r0

Source: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2014-09-09/208713/

420 423 429

374

419403

377

305319

350

319 312

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12

Month of re-offence for adult offenders released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months in 2012 who subsequently committed a drug offence

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-breakdowns-of-reoffences-by-type-for-adult-offenders

Age-standardised alcohol-related death rates in the UK, per 100,000 of population

12.2

13.514.4

15.9

17.017.617.9

19.519.8

21.020.721.021.421.021.7

20.320.720.3

19.119.1

6.37.0 7.3

7.9 8.2 8.6 8.79.2 9.4 9.6 9.8 9.8

10.310.210.3 9.9 9.7 9.7 9.4 9.1

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

Males Females

Source: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/alcohol-related-deaths-in-the-united-kingdom/2013/stb---alcohol-related-deaths-in-the-united-kingdom--registered-in-2013.html

2.1

24.7

40

24.2

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Rate per 100,000 population

15 - 34 years 35 - 54 years

55 - 74 years > 75 years

Alcohol-related violent incidents in England and Wales in 2013/14

Source: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences--2013-14/sty-facts-about-alcohol-related-violence.html

As a proportion of all drivers who have taken drugs in the last 12 months how many have driven when they think they have been affected by their drug use?

11%

89%

At least once

Not at all

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2013

0.8

0.3

0.9

2.1

1.8

5.4

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0

EVERY DAY/ALMOST EVERY DAY

A FEW TIMES A WEEK

ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK

ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH

ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS

ONCE OR TWICE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Drug driving

Estimated number of reported drink drive accidents in Great Britain

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Fatal Serious Slight

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2013

3,665

5,898 6,073

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

2 0 1 1 - 1 2 2 0 1 2 - 1 3 2 0 1 3 - 1 4

Source: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-09/223902/

“Border Force classified seized drugs as having no commercial value when they were due for destruction, and notified the weight and type of goods to the driver of the contracted security company who transported the goods to incinerators. These consignments would have significant value to organised criminal groups, who might view them as an easy target. While Border Force had taken some steps to mitigate this risk, we remain concerned that the steps taken were insufficient. We therefore believe that managers at the highest level should be made aware of the risks that this practice represents, to determine whether they are content with the current disposal arrangements.”

Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

The number of drug seizures by Border Force has gone up by 66% between 2011-12 and 2013-14

Source: http://icinspector.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Queens-Warehouse-Inspection-Report-FINAL-WEB.pdf

Early Intervention Foundation estimate of costs of ‘late intervention’ by outcome

£3

£9

£30

£40

£140

£280

£420

£440

£440

£450

£474

£570

£960

£3,690

£4,060

£5,150

£- £2,000 £4,000 £6,000

YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE HOSPITAL …

CHILD ALCOHOL HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

16-17 YEAR OLDS WHO ARE NEET

CHILD SELF-HARM HOSPITAL …

CHILD INJURY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

CHILD PROTECTION PLANS

PERSISTENT ABSENTEES

CHILD MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL …

CHILDREN IN SPECIALIST SUBSTANCE …

PERMANENT SCHOOL EXCLUSIONS

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE YJS

CHILDREN IN NEED

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR INCIDENTS

18-24 YEAR OLDS WHO ARE NEET

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES

LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

£ millions

Annual spend (£m, 2014–15 prices) “We use ‘Late Intervention’ as an umbrella term for a range of acute or statutory services that are required when children and young people experience significant difficulties in life, as well other support they may draw upon such as welfare benefits. This report provides initial estimates of the annual cost to the taxpayer of such Late Intervention. As an annual estimate it only captures the immediate fiscal costs, not longer-term impacts.”

Source: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/SPENDING-ON-LATE-INTERVENTION.pdf

Number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody for the possession of (a) class A, (b) class B and (c) class C drugs offence in England and Wales, 12 months ending March 2014, by the number of previous convictions

7 7 012

222

74

97

2

94109

9

398

366

43

CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C

No previous convictions

One previous conviction

Between two and five previous convictions

Between six and 10 previous convictions

More than 10 previous convictions

Source: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2014-09-09/208713/

There were about 250 recorded incidents of NPS being thrown into prison in 2014

Compared with 36 in 2013

Source: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-02-23a.92.2#g110.0

Freedom of Information request to police services

56 128

368

1356

3652

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 4

“For each of the last most recent four years for which figures are available, how many incidents have been recorded where the term ‘legal high’ has been logged?”

Source: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Press%20Releases%202015/CSJ-press-release---legal-highs---06.02.15.pdf

Percentage change in recorded crime by offence type between 2009/10 and 2013/14

-9%

21%

-23%

-13%

-37%

-16%

-28% -29%

-13%

Violenceagainst the

person

Sexual offences Robbery Theft offences Criminaldamage and

arson

Drug offences Possession ofweaponsoffences

Public orderoffences

Miscellaneouscrimes against

society

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-2013-to-2014

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