What Are the Drug Laws in the UK?
The current drug laws in the UK are governed by The Misuse of Drugs Act (1971), where drugs are divided into Class A, B, and C, but there are other statutes regarding the use of drugs in the UK. In this post, we outline the history of UK drug laws and what each legislation covers. The main drug laws in the UK: The Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971 The main drug law in the UK governing the possession, supply, and use of drugs is the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971. This act was passed with the intent to prevent the non-medical use of specific drugs, so it is inclusive of both medicinal drugs and drugs which do not have a medical use. The law is an expansive act that regulates numerous offenses, including the unlawful supply, intent to supply, importation and exportation, and unlawful production of certain drugs.…
How Many People Use Drugs in the UK?
The landscape of drug misuse is changing annually, with different individuals taking different drugs for different reasons. We sought to find out what percentage of people in the UK use drugs by researching the latest drug usage statistics. Drug usage statistics: In general Between 2018 and 2019, 9.4% of adults aged between 16 to 59 had taken a drug, which equates to 3.2 million people. Although this was not a dramatic increase from the year prior (9%), it does depict an upward trend overall since 2015/16 (8.3%). [1] 1 in 9 young adults, aged between 16 to 24, had consumed a drug, representing yet another upward trend in consumption and misuse. [1] 2.4% of those aged between 16 to 59 were classified as ‘frequent’ drug users, meaning that they had consumed a drug on more than one occasion every month in the past year. This means that there are 811,000…
How Many Drug-Related Deaths in the UK?
The straight answer is that we do not know exactly how many drug-related deaths there are in the UK. The main difficulty with providing a figure for how many drug-related deaths occur in the UK is the lack of one single, comprehensive data-set provided by an organisation. In fact, there are multiple constructions of ‘drug-related’ deaths and multiple constructions of what constitutes a drug. Some variations of the definition include: People that are dependent on drugs and overdose Suicides by overdose by individuals without a history of drug use Accidental poisoning and overdose Deaths associated with cigarette smoking Deaths which occur during accidents whilst individuals are under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Victims of murder and manslaughter that arises when an individual is under the influence Deaths that had relation to the presence of a drug in the body Deaths caused by drink driving Deaths which involve the…
A Guide to Nitrites (Poppers)
In this comprehensive guide to nitrites (or “poppers”), we outline everything there is to know about the drug, whether it is legal, the dangers of taking it, and how to prevent becoming addicted to the drug, as well as how to treat addiction to nitrites. What are nitrites? Nitrites are chemical drugs that are typically exhaled for euphoric, sexually productive, and intoxicating effects. The variations are known collectively as either alkyl nitrites or, more commonly, poppers since it was initially available in a small capsule which made a popping noise upon opening. Other common names for the drug include amyl, butyl, hardware, liquid gold, locker room, poppers, ram, rock hard, rush, snapper, stag, stud, thrust, and TNT. They come in the form of gold-coloured liquids in a very small bottle with screw-on lids, sporting various different brand names, including but not limited to THT, liquid gold, and purple haze. Whilst…
A Guide to Heroin (And Other Opiates)
In this comprehensive guide to heroin, we outline everything there is to know about the drug, whether it is legal, the dangers of taking it, and how to prevent becoming addicted to the drug, as well as how to treat heroin addiction. What is heroin? Heroin, better known as diamorphine in the medical world, is part of a broader group of drugs called opiates, which derive from opium poppy plants grown in Asia, Mexico, and Columbia. Opium is the dried milk component of the poppy and it contains other drugs such as morphine and codeine, both of which act as effective painkillers today. Heroin, however, is developed from morphine and at its most pure, comes in a white powder, although it can also be in the form of a brown powder or a black sticky substance. When used, medical heroin can be provided in the form of either tablets or…