Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2007
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: Nick Allen
Cited: DrugScope http://www.drugscope.org.uk
Referenced: Drug Misuse Declared: Findings from the 2006/07 British 
Crime Survey, England and Wales 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1807.pdf
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COCAINE USE 'RISING AMONG UNDER-24s'

The proportion of young adults taking cocaine has almost doubled 
under Labour, intensifying pressure on Gordon Brown to toughen up its 
drugs policy.

Figures from the Home Office's British Crime Survey showed the number 
of 16 to 24-year-olds in England and Wales who admitted taking 
cocaine in the previous year increased from 3.2 per cent in 1998 to 
6.1 per cent in 2006/07.

The survey estimated that 375,000 took the drug in the 12 months to 
March this year.

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: "These latest 
statistics show that Labour continues to fail to get a grip on the 
drug culture in this country. This is because their approach has been 
designed to ignore the issue if possible and do the very least if forced to."

The Conservatives would set up a border police force to stem the flow 
of drugs into the country and ensure tougher custodial punishments 
for drug possession, he said.

Vernon Coaker, a Home Office minister, said: "Across the country we 
have seen overall drug use fall since the British Crime Survey first 
started measuring it in 1996 but we are not complacent and know that 
there is still a lot of work to do in tackling drug misuse -- 
especially cocaine."

Martin Barnes, chief executive of the drug information charity 
DrugScope, said: "The continued use of cocaine powder, particularly 
among young people, is of concern.

"We have highlighted the increased availability and affordability of 
powder cocaine, a drug which has both severe health risks and the 
potential for dependency."

The survey also showed that more than one in five young people, about 
1.35 million, smoked cannabis during the year to March.

Cannabis was downgraded to a Class C drug three years ago, meaning 
users no longer face automatic arrest and police can simply give 
those in possession a formal warning instead.

Around 66,000 warnings were issued last year.

The Conservatives have pledged to reclassify it and police chiefs 
have expressed concern that its current status sends mixed messages 
to young people. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake