Introduction
The purpose of this JSNA is to provide an up-to-date summary of substance misuse issues, nationally, regionally and in North Tyneside.
Drug misuse refers to taking illegal drugs, or taking medicines in a way not recommended by a GP or the manufacturer. The misuse of drugs can lead to physical or psychological dependency.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was established to make new provision with respect to dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs and related matters. Under the Act, illegal drugs are categorised into three classes: A, B and C.
- Class A drugs, considered the most harmful to health including: heroin, cocaine (including crack), methadone, ecstasy, LSD and magic mushrooms
- Class B drugs, also considered to be dangerous but less so than class A drugs, include: amphetamine, codeine, dihydrocodeine, Ritalin, barbiturates
- Class C drugs, considered to be the least harmful to health but still illegal to possess and give or sell to other people. These include: cannabis, methaqualone, anabolic steroids, ketamine, GHB, benzodiazepines
In the year ending March 2023, the national estimated prevalence of drug use in people aged 16 to 59 years was 9.5%, which is about 3.1 million people.
Drug misuse is a known cause of premature mortality and is linked to a range of negative impacts for individuals, families and communities. These include increased likelihood of long-term health conditions, reduction to quality of life and economic opportunities, and increased social issues including homelessness, violence and exploitation that can require interventions from state and community service-level provision. Nationally the rate of drug misuse deaths for 2021-23 was 5.5 per 100,000, a continuing increase from previous years.
Figure 1 shows the percentage of people who used drugs in the year ending March 2023 by drug type. The most commonly used drug in the UK continues to be cannabis, with a prevalence of 7.6% in 16-59 year olds. From previous years, there has been a significant increase in the use of Hallucinogens and Magic Mushrooms, whilst there has been a decrease in the prevalence of Nitrous Oxide and Ecstasy.
Figure.1 Most common drug types used in the year ending March 2023
Source: Office for National Statistics - Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2023
In December 2021, the UK Government published a 10-year plan, taking an evidence-based and modern approach to addressing the demand for, and supply of, drugs. The collective ambition is to achieve a general shift in the country’s relationship with drugs by reducing drug-related crime, death, harm and overall drug use.