Summary

Description

This annual statistical report presents information on drug misuse among both adults and children. It includes a focus on young adults. The topics covered include: Prevalence of drug misuse, including the types of drugs used; Trends in drug misuse over recent years; Patterns of drug misuse among different groups of the population; Health outcomes related to drug misuse including hospital admissions, drug treatment and number of deaths. The bulletin also summarises Government plans and targets in this area, as well as providing sources of further information and links to relevant documents. The bulletin draws together data from a variety of different sources and presents it in a user-friendly format. Most of the data contained in the bulletin have been published previously by the NHS Information Centre, the Home Office, Office for National Statistics or the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Previously unpublished figures on drug-related admissions to hospital are presented using data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre's Hospital Episode Statistics.