The chart below brings together drugs data from various sources. Most figures are for England and Wales. Scottish figures, where available, are shown in brackets.
|
|
Class |
More details |
Estimated no. users |
Users, % of population |
Average price |
Deaths, 2003** |
|
Cocaine
 |
A |
Stimulant made from leaves of coca bush.
Increases alertness and confidence but raises heart rate and blood pressure and users crave the drug. |
755,000 |
2.4
(1.4) |
£40
per gram |
113(29) |
|
Crack
 |
A |
Cocaine mixed with baking soda to form smokeable lumps. Gives an intense high but is very addictive and causes paranoia and agression. |
55,000* |
0.2
(0.2) |
£15-25
per rock |
See note below |
|
Ecstasy
 |
A |
MDMA or similar man-made chemicals. Causes adrenaline rushes and feelings of well-being but also anxiety and high body temperature. |
614,000 |
2.0
(1.7) |
£2-7
per pill |
33
(14) |
|
Heroin
 |
A |
Sedative made from the opium poppy. Can be smoked or injected. Users feel lethargic and content but experience severe cravings for the drug. |
43,000* |
0.1
(0.3) |
£40-90
per gram |
591
(175) |
|
LSD
 |
A |
Man-made drug which has a strong effect on perception. Effects include hallucinations and loss of sense of time. A "bad trip" can cause anxiety. |
76,000 |
0.2
(0.1) |
£1-5
per tab |
- |
|
Mushrooms
 |
A |
Fungi containing the naturally occurring compound psylocibin. Users may experience giggling fits, hallucinations and altered perception. |
260,000 |
0.8
(0.1) |
- |
- |
|
Amphetamines
 |
A/B |
Man-made drugs which increase heart rate and alertness. Users may also feel paranoid. Newer form, methamphetamine, is very addictive. |
483,000 |
1.5
(1.4) |
£8 -15
per gram |
33
(-) |
|
Cannabis
 |
C |
The cannabis sativa plant or resin from it. Cannabis is a relaxant but stronger forms can also cause hallucinations and panic attacks. |
3,364,000 |
10.8
(7.9) |
£40-140
per ounce, depending on type and quality |
11
(-) |
Sources:
Usage estimates: England and Wales - British Crime Survey 2003-04; Scotland - Scottish Crime Survey 2003.
Street price: Drugscope survey 2005
Deaths: Office for National Statistics and General Register Office of Scotland
* Figures for heroin and crack may be underestimates as the types of groups that use these drugs, eg people living in homeless hostels, tend not to overlap with crime survey respondents.
**All E&W figures refer to mentions on a death certificate where cause of death is listed as drug poisoning. The first figure is where it is the only drug mentioned, the second is total number of mentions for that drug.
Cocaine and crack cocaine are indistinguishable in the body after death so are not shown separately.
The total for England and Wales includes anti-depressants and painkillers such as paracetamol.
- None or no available data
All information on this web page is courtesy of BBC News Online.
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