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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: UK drug problem 'among EU worst'
The BBC
Thursday 03 Oct 2002 Britain has one of the highest numbers of drug addicts in the European Union, according to research. A report by the EU's drugs agency shows the UK also has the highest number of people who admit to trying amphetamine or cannabis. About 11% of people questioned in the UK said they had tried amphetamine, compared with between 1% and 6% in other EU member states. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said the survey suggested drug use overall appeared to have stabilised but cocaine and cannabis use may be on the rise. The UK had 6.7 "problem drug users" per 1,000 people. These include those who inject or are long-term users of opiates, cocaine or amphetamine, often committing crime to feed their expensive habits. This figure was beaten only by Italy, Portugal and Luxembourg in research involving 16 countries. No epidemic The Netherlands, which is perceived to be more tolerant of drugs, had the lowest number of problem users - just 2.6 per 1,000. But the UK did have the lowest number of HIV-positive injecting drug users - at 1%, compared with 34% in Spain. Researchers found 30% of adult Britons admitted trying cannabis, compared with just 10% in Finland. Executive director of the Lisbon-based European Monitoring centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Georges Estievenart, said: "Where increases are still noted in some indicators in some countries or regions, the general picture seems now more similar to a stable 'endemic' situation. "This is contrary to the situation in the 1980s and first half of the 1990s, when many countries in the EU experienced extreme and epidemic rises in drug use and related problems." The 60-page report said more warnings should be given about the dangers of experimenting with potentially lethal drug cocktails. Rave warning It said clubbers needed to be made aware of the dangers of using legal substances - such as high-energy drinks - with illicit drugs like Ecstasy and other stimulants. It warned that using the drinks while on Ecstasy could lead to hyperactivity, overheating and heart attacks. Combining other legal and illegal drugs - such as Ecstasy and alcohol, or benzodiazepines and opiates - could also lead to potentially lethal side-effects, it added. The report said the UK was one of seven countries to report a possible increase in the number of problem drug users. The Home Office has recognised that cocaine use among young Britons is on the rise, and the report shows the UK has the highest proportion of people admitting to using the drug within the previous year - 3.3%, followed by Spain (2.7%) and Ireland (2.8%). Stable The report said there had been growing concern about possible increases in cocaine use in the EU which "seems consistent among young people in the United Kingdom and, possibly to a lesser extent, in Denmark, Germany and Greece". A Home Office spokesman said: "We will examine the report. "The British Crime Survey indicates that drug use generally remained stable between 1998 and 2000. "Cocaine use rose from 1% to 5% between 1994 and 2000, but the increase is not statistically significant. "Our drugs strategy is focusing on Class A drugs that do most harm."
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