10 things about drugs you may have missed

27 August 2014

Andrew BrownDirector of Policy, Influence and EngagementDrugScope

@andrewbrown365

Drug related deaths in Scotland

19961998

20002002

20042006

20082010

20120

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Male Female

Drug related deaths in Scotland in 2013 were the fifth highest ever recorded, and 66% higher than a decade ago.

Three in four deaths were male and over half were between the ages of 25 and 44.

Most drug related deaths were of people who took more than one substance, but heroin and morphine were implicated in 221 deaths.

There were 60 deaths where new psychoactive substances (NPS) were implicated, of these in 39 deaths the only NPS present were benzodiazepines (usually phenazepam).

Source: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related/2013/index.html

In 2013 there were

5.7 million prescriptions dispensed for treating substance dependence at a cost of £96.4 mSource: HSCIC, Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community, Statistics for England - 2003-2013 (2014)

The number of times controlled and non controlled drugs, including NPS, encountered by FEWS were reported in 2013/14

No. of samples Class A Class B Class C Controlled Non-controlled0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Internet Head-Shops Festivals Police Border Force

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/forensic-early-warning-system-fews-annual-report

“Of the samples analysed that contained NPS, about 91% have been identified as mixtures of either two (61%) or three (30%) different active components.”

The number of Invalidity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance claimants classified as having drug and alcohol problems between 2004 and 2013

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

IB/SDA Alcoholism IB/SDA Drug Abuse ESA Alcoholism ESA Drug Abuse

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-response-ibsda-and-esa-claimants-by-mental-and-behavioural-conditions-and-duration-of-claim-in-gb-for-nov-of-each-year-from-2004-to-2013

The amount of time claimants of IB/SDA/ESA classified as having drug and alcohol problems have spent on those benefits, 2004-2013

Up to 3 months

3 months up to 6 months

6 months up to 1 year

1 year and up to 2 years

2 years and up to 5 years

5 years and over

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-response-ibsda-and-esa-claimants-by-mental-and-behavioural-conditions-and-duration-of-claim-in-gb-for-nov-of-each-year-from-2004-to-2013

In 2013, the total number of controlled drugs items prescribed in NHS primary care was 47,044,814, which is a decrease of 1% compared with 2012.

The cost of this was £498,942,743 representing an increase of 10% compared with 2012.

Source: Care Quality Commission The safer management of controlled drugs: Annual report 2013

Top 10 Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs prescribed in NHS primary care in 2012 and 2013 (by number of items)

Temazepam

Methadone

Buprenorp

hine

Morp

hine Sulphate

Oxyco

done

Fentanyl

Methylp

henidate

Phenobarbita

l

Midazo

lam?

Diamorphine

All other s

chedule 2 &

3 CDs0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

20122013

Source: Care Quality Commission The safer management of controlled drugs: Annual report 2013

$3 billionThe amount spent globally on e-cigarettes in 2013.

Source: http://apps.who.int/gb/fctc/PDF/cop6/FCTC_COP6_10-en.pdf

Arrests in 2012/13 resulting from searches of persons or vehicles in England and Wales

Stolen property

Drugs Firearms Offensive weapons

Going equipped

Criminal damage

Other -

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Source: http://data.police.uk/data/stop-and-search/

Number of stop and searches and resulting arrests for drugs in England and Wales

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/1010

2010/1110

2011/1210

2012/1310

0.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

Searches Arrests

Thou

sand