Scots found to be drinking more but taking fewer drugs

31 January 2010
The number of people taking illegal drugs in Scotland is declining, according to figures from the Scottish government, while drinking rates continue to far exceed those of England or Wales.

More than 10,000 people responded to the Crime and justice survey 2008-09 on self-reported ‘last month, last year and lifetime’ use of drugs. Use of cannabis was declining, according to the survey, but cocaine use – after cannabis, the most commonly reported drug used in the month and year prior to the interview – had remained stable. The survey also showed a lower proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds who had taken drugs at any point in their lives than in England or Wales. However, it has drawn press criticism for not including people more likely to have taken drugs, such as those living in hostels, the homeless and prisoners.

The survey represented a ‘small step in the right direction’ said community safety minister Fergus Ewing, and the Scottish government has also launched a new cinema and online campaign aimed at 16 to 22- year-olds on the health risks associated with cocaine. Meanwhile a report on Scottish drinking habits reveals that more than 50m litres of pure alcohol were sold in Scotland last year. Sales in the year to September 2009 averaged 12.2 litres of pure alcohol per person over the age of 18, around 25 per cent higher than in England and Wales.

Sales of pure alcohol per head from supermarkets and shops were more than double those of pubs, clubs and restaurants, and it was now possible to exceed the weekly drinking guidelines for a man for less than £3.50, according to health secretary Nicola Sturgeon. ‘Studies have indicated that around a million Scots are drinking above guideline levels, often in binges – with nearly a quarter of a million drinking more than twice the recommended limits,’ she said. ‘All the evidence tells us that the big rise in Scottish alcohol consumption in recent decades is closely linked with the 70 per cent drop in alcohol's relative cost. As a consequence, our country now faces an unprecedented burden from alcohol-related health problems, crime and lost economic productivity which runs into billions and which we are all paying for.’ The Scottish government estimates the total cost of alcohol misuse to society at between £2.48bn and £4.64bn a year (DDN, 18 January, page 5).

Results from the Scottish crime and justice survey 2008/09: drugs use module available at
www.scotland. gov.uk/Publications/2010/0 /22152358/0

Analysis of alcohol sales data 2005 – 2009 available at www.healthscotland.com
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