International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:16:43 -0700

(Estimated Number of Problem Drug Users in UK) "Combining the 2009/10 estimates for England, Scotland, Wales (Hay et al. 2011; ISD Scotland 2011; Welsh Government 2011a) and the most recent estimate for Northern Ireland for 2004 (Centre for Drug Misuse Research 2006) it is possible to derive an estimate for the United Kingdom of 383,534 problem drug users, a rate of 9.38 per 1,000 population aged 15 to 64 (Table 4.2)."

International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:15:40 -0700

(Estimated Number of Problem Drug Users (PDUs) in Wales) "National PDU estimates for Wales for the period 2009/10 were published by the Welsh Government in October 2011 (Welsh Government 2011a; see UK Focal Point Report 2011). Regional differences were noted in the report across Health Board areas. The rate (per 1,000 population) ranged from 3.5 (95% CI 2.4 to 9.6) in the rural Powys area to 14.3 (95% CI 11.0 to 19.0) in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU)123 area."

International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:14:06 -0700

(Estimated Number of Problem Drug Users (PDUs) in Scotland) "National and local estimates of the prevalence of problem drug use in Scotland for 2009/10 were published in autumn 2011 (ISD Scotland 2011). Estimates are for problematic opiate and/or illicit benzodiazepine use119 amongst individuals aged between 15 and 64 years old. Previous estimates have been published for the calendar years 2000, 2003 and 2006 (Hay et al. 2001; 2004; 2009).
"In 2009/10 there were an estimated 59,600120 individuals aged between 15 and 64 with problem drug use in Scotland, an increase from the 2006 (n=55,328) and 2003 (n=51,582) estimates.121 (Hay et al. 2004; 2009). The estimated rate of individuals with problem drug use in 2009/10 was 17.1 per 1,000 population, a non-significant increase from 2006 but lower than the rate in 2003 (Table 4.1)."

International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:12:10 -0700

(Estimated Number of Problem Drug Users (PDUs) in England) "The most recent estimates of problem drug use in England were published in 2011 (Hay et al. 2011; see UK Focal Point Report 2011) showing that there were an estimated 306,150118 opiate and/or crack cocaine users in 2009/10. New national and local estimates of the prevalence of opiate and/or crack cocaine use (OCU) are being calculated for 2010/11 with separate estimates for opiate use, crack cocaine use and injecting drug use. It is anticipated that the results will be available in 2013."

International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:51:11 -0700

(Cultivation Offenses in the UK) "Data from Scotland show that there has been a large increase in recorded cultivation offences since 2006/07 from 437 to 1,242 in 2011/12 (Scottish Government 2012a). This corresponds to an increase in the number of cannabis plant seizures from 304 in 2006/07 to 970 in 2010/11, the last available year of data (Scottish Government 2008e; 2012d; see section 10.3.1). Analysis carried out by the Association for Chief Police Officers (ACPO) suggest that there were 14,982 cannabis production offences in the UK in 2010/11 (ACPO 2012; see section 10.3.3)."

International - United Kingdom - Data - 061413

dwf_admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:49:39 -0700

(Stop and Searches for Drugs in England and Wales) "In 2010/11 there were almost 600,000 stop and searches for drugs carried out by the police in England and Wales accounting for almost half of all police stop and searches for any reason (Home Office 2012e). This is a five per cent increase on the previous year and continues a trend of increased use of this power. Almost half of the drug searches recorded were carried out in London. Overall, a stop and search for drugs resulted in an arrest in seven per cent of cases across England and Wales with the British Transport Police, South-East England, London, and East Midlands below the national average. This compares to a 12% arrest rate for searches for non-drug reasons. The number of arrests as a result of drugs stop and search was 41,961."

International - Colombia - Data - 061313

dwf_admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:10:15 -0700

(Alternative Development and Association with Eradication and Law Enforcement) "In Colombia, the government has sought to counter coca growth by building a solid regional and local economic base for agriculture, agro-industry, and forestry work. In addition, Colombia is currently developing a land tenure policy for traditional coca-growing areas to help solidify local support for licit alternatives to coca.¹⁵ For decades, alternative development has been a cornerstone of the international response to the illicit drug trade. The idea is to encourage drug crop farmers to shift to other profitable crops, such as cacao and coffee. However, the association of alternative development with law enforcement activities, including eradication and aerial spraying, has had a negative impact on the attitudes of the communities directly involved. That is a significant factor, because without the participation of these communities there is no chance of developing effective alternative crop programs."

International - Peru - Data - 061313

dwf_admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:05:51 -0700

(Estimates of Coca-Related Deforestation in Peru) "Although it is very difficult to find reliable information on the magnitude of deforestation caused by illicit crops, some studies suggest that in Peru, 2.5 million hectares of Amazonian forest have been destroyed in order to grow coca.⁹"

International - Mexico - Data - 061313

dwf_admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:03:40 -0700

(Eradication Efforts In Mexico and Guatemala) "Mexico has manually eradicated marijuana and opium poppy as an integral part of its drug control strategy for decades; indeed, between 2008 and the first half of 2012, the number of hectares of poppy eradicated averaged 15,600 per year. Guatemala also eradicates poppy and marijuana; as mentioned above, at least 1,490 hectares of poppy were eradicated in 2011.¹³"

Environment - Data - 061313

dwf_admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:00:43 -0700

(Environmental Impact of Illicit Drug Production and Eradication) "Plant-based drugs are often grown in ecologically valuable forest areas, with immediate and devastating consequences for the environment: deforestation, degradation of the soil, and pollution. Many traditional economic activities—such as agriculture, mining, and cattle ranching—have a negative impact on natural ecosystems, in part because they tend to replace native forests with croplands. The data provided below are, consequently, valid for both licit and illicit activities. While it is not possible to determine the relative importance of each, it is likely that because of their limited scope the harm done by illicit crops is probably less than that wrought by legal activities. However, it is also possible to assert that the environmental impact is likely accelerated with illicit crops. Because they are usually grown in isolated areas far from urban centers, where there are often no roads and the state has difficulty maintaining a presence, these crops tend to expand the agricultural frontier. Moreover, the pace and methods used to produce illicit crops, which do not include measures to promote sustainability of the land, exacerbate the environmental impact.
"Beyond the effects that can be attributed directly to drug production, the process of drug control itself can complicate the problem. Some studies have maintained that aerial spraying of the herbicide glyphosate causes a negative impact on the environment and human health, which has been a particular cause for concern in regions of Colombia where this method is used to control illicit crops."

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