Historique
Rapport
Impact of the reduction in heroin supply between 2010 and 2011
Auteur(s) :
AHMAD, M. ;
RICHARDSON, A.
Année
2016
Page(s) :
45 p.
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Éditeur(s) :
London : Home Office
, Research Report 91
ISBN :
978-1-78655-074-3
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
MAR (Marchés / Markets)
Thésaurus géographique
ROYAUME-UNI
;
ANGLETERRE
;
PAYS DE GALLES
Thésaurus mots-clés
HEROINE
;
MARCHE DE LA DROGUE
;
PRIX
;
PURETE
;
REDUCTION DE CONSOMMATION
;
OFFRE
;
CRIMINALITE
;
EVOLUTION
;
MESURES QUANTITATIVES
;
ENTRETIEN
;
DIFFUSION DES PRODUITS
;
ACCES AUX SOINS
Résumé :
Heroin is strongly associated with both health and social harms. Around half of clients in contact with treatment in 2014/15 were using opiates (52%) and 952 deaths were related to heroin and morphine use in 2014, out of a total 3,346 drug poisoning deaths. Regular opiate and crack cocaine users are estimated to commit up to 45 per cent of acquisitive crime, costing almost £6bn per year.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reported that a small group of European countries, including the UK, appeared to have experienced a reduced supply of heroin to varying degrees4 in 2010/11.
This change in the availability of heroin provides a unique opportunity to expand the currently limited evidence base on the impacts of reduced supply. This report makes best use of available secondary data to examine how the reduction in heroin supply in England and Wales manifested itself at street level and to attempt to quantify any impact on drug use and associated harms. Feedback from Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) and service providers is also presented to provide additional context to the analysis.
This report concludes that street level heroin prices remained relatively stable, but purity levels fell. There were reports that during this time, heroin use decreased with some users switching to or increasing their use of other substances, particularly benzodiazepines and alcohol.
During the period of reduced supply, new presentations to drug treatment for opiate use fell and there were no significant changes in drug related acquisitive crime, though there was a decline in heroin possession offences.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reported that a small group of European countries, including the UK, appeared to have experienced a reduced supply of heroin to varying degrees4 in 2010/11.
This change in the availability of heroin provides a unique opportunity to expand the currently limited evidence base on the impacts of reduced supply. This report makes best use of available secondary data to examine how the reduction in heroin supply in England and Wales manifested itself at street level and to attempt to quantify any impact on drug use and associated harms. Feedback from Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) and service providers is also presented to provide additional context to the analysis.
This report concludes that street level heroin prices remained relatively stable, but purity levels fell. There were reports that during this time, heroin use decreased with some users switching to or increasing their use of other substances, particularly benzodiazepines and alcohol.
During the period of reduced supply, new presentations to drug treatment for opiate use fell and there were no significant changes in drug related acquisitive crime, though there was a decline in heroin possession offences.
Affiliation :
UK