This month includes data on: Naloxone, people with drug and alcohol problems getting sickness benefits, numbers sent to treatment through the courts, proportions found guilty of drug offences & the number of previous convictions, re-offence rates for those committing drug offences, rates of death for alcohol, alcohol related violence, drug and drink driving, border force seizures of drugs, how much we spend on 'late intervention', number of times prisons have detected NPS being thrown over the wall, police incidents which include 'legal highs', changes in recorded crime by offence

1. 15 things about
alcohol and other
drugs you may have
missed
March 2015
Andrew Brown
Director of Policy, Influence and Engagement
DrugScope
@andrewbrown365

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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/

6. 420 423 429
374
419
403
377
305
319
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

7. Age-standardised alcohol-related death
rates in the UK, per 100,000 of population
12.2
13.5
14.4
15.9
17.0
17.617.9
19.519.8
21.020.721.021.421.0
21.7
20.320.720.3
19.119.1
6.3
7.0 7.3
7.9 8.2 8.6 8.7
9.2 9.4 9.6 9.8 9.8
10.310.210.3 9.9 9.7 9.7 9.4 9.1
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 3,665
5,898
6,073
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
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

12. 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

13. 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 0
12
22
2
74
97
2
94
109
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/

14. 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

15. Freedom of Information request to
police services
56 128
368
1356
3652
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
“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

16. Percentage change in recorded crime by
offence type between 2009/10 and 2013/14
-9%
21%
-23%
-13%
-37%
-16%
-28% -29%
-13%
Violence
against the
person
Sexual offences Robbery Theft offences Criminal
damage and
arson
Drug offences Possession of
weapons
offences
Public order
offences
Miscellaneous
crimes against
society
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-2013-to-2014

17. Join DrugScope
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commissioners and funding agencies, DrugScope is the national
membership organisation for the drug and alcohol field and is
the UK’s leading independent centre of expertise on alcohol,
drugs and their use.
For the latest treatment updates, policy, best practice and
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