Drug Use in England and Wales

Illegal drug use trends among 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales are examined in a new UK Home Office release based on the findings from the 2016 – 2017 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).

The survey used a representative sample of household residents in England and Wales.

The release covers:

• Trends and extent of drug use among adults
• Trends and extent of drug use among 16- to 24-year-olds, specifically
• Frequency of drug use
• Drug use by lifestyle factors
• New psychoactive substances (NPS) and nitrous oxide use
• Obtainability of illegal drugs

Among the findings, notable are:

• 1 in 12 16- to 59-year-olds had taken drugs in the last year
• 1 in 5 16- to 24-year-olds had taken drugs in the last year
• 2% of adults were classed as frequent drug users
• Cannabis was the most popular drug
• Powdered cocaine and ecstasy saw a decrease in use
• Non-prescribed use of prescription-only painkillers was higher among men than women
• Higher life satisfaction entails a decreased probability of non-prescribed use of prescription-only painkillers
• NPS use reduced in the last year, largely as a result of a decrease in male users
• Around 50% of NPS users were aged 16 to 24
• Men were statistically more likely to use nitrous oxide than women
• 35% of 16- to 59-year-olds reported that it would be easy for them to personally obtain drugs within 24 hours if so desired

Click here to access the full report.