Two leading charities urged the withdrawal of proposals in the Criminal Justice Bill allowing for compulsory drug testing and treatment of children, arguing that they would infringe a child's right to liberty and protection from inhuman and degrading treatment.
Source: Press release 17.12.02, Children s Society (020 7841 4415) and DrugScope
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
An analysis of the British Crime Survey found that, of all those aged 16-59, 12 per cent had taken an illicit drug and 3 per cent had used a Class A drug in the last year (2001-02). This equated to around four million users of any illicit drug and around one million users of Class A drugs.
Source: Rebbecca Aust, Clare Sharp and Chris Goulden, Prevalence of Drug Use: Key findings from the 2001/2002 British Crime Survey, Research Findings 182, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 6.6
Date: 2002-Dec
A report analysed data from the 1998-99 Youth Lifestyles Survey (a representative sample of young people aged 12 to 30 living in England and Wales), focusing on the occurrence and timing of young people s first use of various types of illicit drugs. It found little or no evidence for the gateway hypothesis - that the use of drugs such as cannabis increases the risk of future use of more harmful drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.
Source: Stephen Pudney, The Road to Ruin? Sequences of initiation into drug use and offending by young people in Britain, Research Study 253, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2002-Dec
A research study provided estimates of the economic and social costs of 'class A' drug use in England and Wales for the year 2000. The total costs of problem drug use were estimated to be between 10.1 billion and 17.4 billion a year equivalent to a mean value of 35,455 per user.
Source: Christine Godfrey, Gail Eaton, Cynthia McDougall and Anthony Culyer, The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drug Use in England and Wales, 2000, Research Study 249, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2002-Dec
The government published an updated drugs strategy, with a tougher focus on Class A drugs, a stronger focus on education, prevention, enforcement and treatment, and more resources (planned direct annual expenditure for tackling drugs will rise from 1.03 billion in 2002-03 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2004-05 - an increase of 44 per cent). At the same time it dropped three of the four previous targets of its strategy, including those for halving the availability and use by young people of heroin/cocaine and cutting levels of drug-related crime by 50 per cent.
Source: Updated Drug Strategy 2002, Home Office (with six other government departments), available from prolog.uk.com (0870 241 4680) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 3.12.02, columns 73-74WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Press release | Hansard | Independent article
Date: 2002-Dec
Full results were published from a survey of drug misuse, smoking and drinking among secondary schoolchildren aged 11-15 in England. In 2001, 29 per cent of pupils reported that they had ever tried one or more drugs. Although it was not possible to compare this figure with previous survey results in the series (due to changes in the structure and wording of questions), the authors said the survey responses suggest that the increase in drug taking reported between 1998 and 2000 probably continued into 2001.
Source: Richard Boreham and Andrew Shaw (eds.), Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among Young People in England in 2001, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DH press release | Guardian analysis
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/3, Digest 119, paragraph 6.4
Date: 2002-Dec
A Licensing Bill was published, combining proposals for more flexible opening hours for pubs and bars in England and Wales with new measures against alcohol-related crime and disorder. Campaigners said that longer opening hours will only make problems of anti-social behaviour worse.
Source: Licensing Bill 2002 [HL], Department for Culture, Media and Sport, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 13.11.02, Civic Trust (020 7930 0914)
Links: Text of Bill | Summary (pdf) | Civic Trust press release
Date: 2002-Nov
Research found that more than 30,000 early deaths each year are attributable to alcohol misuse; that around a million children are living with parents who have drink problems; and that alcohol-related health problems cost the National Health Service around 3 billion a year.
Source: Alcohol Research Forum, 100% Proof, Alcohol Concern (020 7928 7377)
Links: BBC report
Date: 2002-Oct
The Department of Health and the Cabinet Office began a joint consultation exercise, designed to inform work on a National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (promised in the 1999 White Paper 'Our Healthier Nation').
Source: National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy: Consultation Document, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Consultation Document (pdf) | DH press release | 1999 White Paper
Date: 2002-Oct
A study evaluated the effectiveness of drug treatment and testing orders in pilot areas of Scotland. It found that they have become established as an additional option for courts in dealing with drug offenders.
Source: Susan Eley, Kathryn Gallop, Gill McIvor, Kerry Morgan and Rowdy Yates, Drug Treatment and Testing Orders: Evaluation of the Scottish Pilots, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2002-Oct
Researchers reported favourably on a drugs campaign in Scotland aimed at reducing drug misuse and drug-related offending, and raising awareness of the dangers of drugs in the community.
Source: Doug Maclean, Joanna Gilliatt and Jenny Brogden, Evaluation of the 'Know the Score' Drugs Campaign, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2002-Sep
Researchers found that almost a third of custody records sampled indicated that alcohol is a factor in the arrest. 15 per cent of arrests were for an alcohol-specific offence (e.g., drunkenness or drink driving). 16 per cent were alcohol-related in that the detainee was drunk or had been drinking prior to arrest.
Source: Lan-Ho Man, David Best, Jane Marshall, Christine Godfrey and Tracey Budd, Dealing with Alcohol-Related Detainees in the Custody Suite, Research Findings 178, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2002-Aug
A series of reforms to drug laws was announced. Cannabis would be reclassified to class C (least harmful) but not decriminalized. Campaigners said the reforms ranged from the impressively forward-looking' to the 'dangerously short-sighted .
Source: Press release 10 July 2002, Home Office (020 7273 4000) | Press release 15 July 2002, Drugscope (020 7928 1211)
Links: Home Office press release | Drugscope press release | Hansard
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124, paragraph 6.5
Date: 2002-Jul
The full report was published of a study into the impact of drugs markets on deprived neighbourhoods.
Source: Ruth Lupton, Andrew Wilson, Tiggey May, Hamish Warburton and Paul Turnbull, A Rock and a Hard Place: Drug Markets in Deprived Neighbourhoods, Research Study 240, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
The government announced a cross-cutting review of the problem of alcohol addiction.
Source: Strategy Unit Project on Tackling the Harm Associated with Alcohol Misuse - Scoping Note, Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1881)
Links: Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124, paragraph 2.6
Date: 2002-Jul
An evaluation of drug testing pilots in the criminal justice system recommended closer links with support and advice services.
Source: J. Mallender et al., Evaluation of Drug Testing in the Criminal Justice System in Three Pilot Areas, Research Findings 176, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122 (paragraph 6.6)
Date: 2002-May
An evaluation of drug testing pilots in the criminal justice system recommended closer links with support and advice services.
Source: J. Mallender et al., Evaluation of Drug Testing in the Criminal Justice System in Three Pilot Areas, Research Findings 176, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122 (paragraph 6.6)
Date: 2002-May
Researchers found that active local drug markets damage community confidence and hinder regeneration.
Source: R. Lupton et al., Drug Markets in Deprived Neighbourhoods, Research Findings 167, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/1, Digest 121 (paragraph 6.2)
Date: 2002-May
A report by a committee of MPs called for government drugs policy to concentrate on education and harm reduction for users rather than criminal sanctions.
Source: The Government's Drugs Policy: Is it Working?, Third Report (Session 2001-02), HC 318, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124 (paragraph 6.5)
Date: 2002-May