Drugs blight most parts of UK
Drugs are a problem for three-quarters of people in the UK, according to research by the BBC.
More than 50 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed said that the police were not doing enough to tackle drugs.
Martin Barnes, chief executive of Drugscope, noted that the survey revealed emerging trend of affluent drug users. He said: This survey shows that illegal drug use is around three times higher among professional and managerial classes compared with the semi or unskilled.
The fact that around 1 in 20 adults have ever used cocaine is consistent with the findings from the annual British Crime Survey.
Despite cocaine's reputation as the drug of choice for the rich and better off, amongst this survey's respondents its use is in fact highest among the middle socio-economic groups.
The survey also revealed the low cost of certain drugs, with ecstasy pills available for £1 and a hit
of cocaine on sale for £40.
More than 200,000 people were recorded in drug treatment in 2007/8, according to the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA).
The NTA figures, published in October 2008, also show an increase in the number of people retained in treatment for 12 weeks or more since 2006/7.
Original article: www.bbc.co.uk
Date - Monday 22 May 2008