SERIES: DRUGS UNCOVERED: THE OBSERVER DRUGS POLL 2008

Nearly a quarter of us have taken marijuana. A third of us know
someone with a drug problem. Seven out of ten of us support routine
drugs tests for teachers. And more than a quarter of us think drugs
should be legalised. This special Observer Drugs Poll 2008 reveals
all...

Starting and stopping 27 per cent of UK adults aged 16 or over have
taken illegal drugs - amounting to around 13 million people. The
younger the adults, the more likely they are to have taken drugs:
while 46 per cent of the 16-34 age group have taken drugs at some
point in their lives, only 5 per cent of people aged 55 or over have
done so.

Men are more likely to have taken drugs than women, but the gap is
closing. In 2002, men were more than twice as likely as women to have
taken them. Now, 33 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women have
taken illegal drugs.

Among those who have ever taken drugs, the average age for first doing
so is 17, with men starting to experiment at a slightly younger age
than women (on average 16 as opposed to 18). People are starting to
take drugs at a younger and younger age. 18-34-year-olds, on average,
first took an illegal drug when they were 15. People aged 45+ first
experimented with drugs at 20.

Men are likely to first experiment with drugs earlier than women, but
among both sexes, those who have taken drugs but no longer do so stop
at an average age of 24. So the period of experimentation tends to be
short-lived, and perhaps associated with a finite period of people's
lives, such as university.

The vast majority (83 per cent) of people who have ever taken illegal
drugs began by taking cannabis. Opposition to the legalisation of
cannabis is often fuelled by the view that it leads to the consumption
of harder drugs.

Although this theory does not hold true for most people, the poll does
suggest that for a significant minority, taking marijuana has led to
experiencing harder drugs. Of the 83 per cent of drug users who began
by taking cannabis, 35 per cent went on to try cocaine, 7 per cent to
try heroin and 6 per cent to try crack.

Four out of five people say that they first experimented with drugs
out of curiosity. Although only 18 per cent of people ascribe their
first experience of drug taking to peer pressure, women are more
likely to have felt pressured by friends into first taking drugs, or
at least they admit to having felt this way.

Criticism is often directed at wayward celebrities for abusing their
position as role models by taking drugs. However, such behaviour has
little effect on young people in reality: only 2 per cent of people
put their first drug-taking experience down to a desire to emulate
heroes.

Among all those who have ever dabbled in drugs, cannabis is by far the
most popular substance: 22 per cent of the population as a whole has
taken marijuana at some point in their lives. The second most popular
drug varies according to age and gender. Among women, it is ecstasy
(31 per cent), but among men it is cocaine (41 per cent).

Apart from cannabis, ecstasy is the most widely used drug by the 16-34
age group (45 per cent), and for those aged 35+ it is amphetamines (33
per cent). Perhaps because of the popularity of cannabis among drug
takers, most drug use tends to take place at home (65 per cent).
However, the proportion taking place in pubs, clubs and bars has
increased since 2002 (35 per cent as opposed to 20 per cent).

The average UK adult spends UKP 57.56 per month on alcohol, UKP 21.74
per month on tobacco and UKP 12.17 per month on drugs - these figures
include those who do not drink alcohol, smoke or use illegal
substances. People in Scotland spend considerably more per month on
drugs (UKP 24.52), alcohol (UKP 69.66) and tobacco (UKP 35.52) than
people elsewhere in the UK.

Drug users spend UKP 70.77 per month on drugs. Drug users tend to
spend more money on other, legal, stimulants: they spend more than
twice as much on tobacco (UKP 49.90 per month) and considerably more
on alcohol (UKP 93.64 per month) than the population at large.

Law and legistlation The vast majority of drug users are supplied by
people they know: only 4 per cent buy from strangers. 70 per cent of
people who take drugs on a less-than-monthly basis let their friends
buy on their behalf: suggesting that infrequent drug use is often done
in the company of other people. People taking drugs more frequently,
however, tend to buy from known dealers: 83 per cent of daily users
get their drugs this way.

Men are more likely than women to take drugs habitually: 20 per cent
of men who currently take drugs do so daily, compared to just 7 per
cent of women. It is therefore unsurprising that men spend on average
three times more per month on drugs than women.

The poll suggests that the public has generally adopted a tougher
stance on drugs law since The Observer last conducted this survey in
2002. Six years ago, 30 per cent of adults believed that UK drug laws
were not liberal enough. Now, this proportion has plummeted to 18 per
cent. On the other side of the debate, the proportion of people
thinking that UK drug laws are too liberal has increased from a
quarter to a little under a third (32 per cent). 16-24-year-olds are
the most likely to think that there is room for UK law to be more
tolerant. However, it doesn't follow that the older a person is, the
less supportive they are of a liberalisation of drugs law: in fact,
people aged over 65 are as likely as 25-34-year-olds to say that UK
drug laws are not liberal enough.

The proportion of people supporting the legalisation or
decriminalisation of certain illegal drugs has also dropped over the
past six years from 38 per cent to 27 per cent. Of the people who do
support a change in the law, most (78 per cent) believe that cannabis
should be legalised or decriminalised. Very few people believe that
harder drugs should be authorised in any way.

This increased stringency is also borne out in an increased support
for drugs testing of key workers. In 2002, 61 per cent of people felt
that police officers should undergo regular testing for illegal drugs:
this has risen to 85 per cent. In the previous survey 46 per cent of
people supported the same policy for teachers; now 68 per cent do. The
same trend is apparent for pilots, drivers, and doctors and nurses.

Despite a growing belief that UK drugs law is too liberal, people are
still keen to differentiate between ordinary users and sellers. 37 per
cent believe that drug addicts arrested for possession (as opposed to
dealing) should be spared prison sentences. Despite minor
fluctuations, there is a broadly consistent level of support for
non-custodial sentences among all age groups. Furthermore, 38 per cent
of UK adults would support a model akin to that established in
Portugal in which it is no longer a crime to possess drugs, but is an
offence to supply them. It seems that, despite adopting a less
compromising take on UK drugs policy as a whole and the legalisation
of specific drugs, people are still willing to be sympathetic towards
drug users and addicts. As a further example of this, 44 per cent of
UK adults would support a scheme whereby certain illegal drugs would
be available on prescription to registered addicts.

The volume of crime UK adults attribute to drugs has dropped since
2002. Six years ago, people thought that on average 66 per cent of all
street crime and burglary was either directly or indirectly related to
drugs. Now, they believe that 56 per cent of crime is
drugs-related.

Older people in particular believe that less crime is drugs-related
than they did six years ago. In 2002, those aged over 55 attributed 72
per cent of street crime and burglary to drugs: now, they believe that
only 55 per cent of crime is drugs-related. Regional variations are
also more pronounced than in 2002. People in the southeast now
attribute 70 per cent of crime to drugs. In contrast, Londoners
believe that only 39 per cent of street crime and burglary is
drugs-related - less than any other region in Britain.

A government intent on decriminalising hard drugs would be best
advised to utilise the increasing fear of crime among the electorate
to sell the idea. 48 per cent of adults believe that levels of street
crime and burglary would be reduced if hard drugs were decriminalised.
Only 44 per cent of people who still take drugs believe that this
would be the case.

Prescription and profit The law does not currently discriminate
between those who deal drugs for profit and those who supply drugs
without making a profit (for example, buying them on behalf of
friends). 70 per cent of people support the current law. People in
Wales and Scotland are considerably more likely than people living in
England to say that the law should differentiate. Those who still take
drugs are also more likely to support this view.

Of all those who have ever taken an illegal drug, 11 per cent have
ever supplied them for profit and 26 per cent have supplied drugs
without making financial gain. In total, 7.6 per cent of UK adults
have dealt illegal drugs - amounting to around 3.7 million people. Men
are almost three times more likely to have sold drugs for a profit,
and almost twice as likely to have dealt them without making any money.

46 per cent of adults aged between 16 and 34 have taken drugs at some
point in their lives. However, only 13 per cent of parents of children
aged between 12 and 35 are certain that their children have taken drugs.

Parents who have taken drugs themselves are twice as likely to be sure
that their children have used them. They are considerably more likely
to think that their offspring would take drugs at some point.

Of those who have ever taken an illegal drug, only 13 per cent of
people believe they have had a 'problem' with drugs. Those who
continue to take drugs are considerably more likely to feel that they
have had a problem than those who have stopped.

While the link between drugs and crime is established, the vast
majority of drug users in the UK have never committed a criminal act
to fund their purchase of drugs. Only 8 per cent of drug users have
ever funded drug purchase through crime.

Interestingly, people who feel that they have had a problem with
drugs, or have used crime to fund their habit, are more likely to be
opposed to legalisation or decriminalisation. Personal experience of
the dangers of drugs could be in part responsible for their stance.

While very few drug users think they have had a 'problem' with drugs
themselves, 32 per cent believe they have known someone who has had a
serious drug problem.

Four per cent of UK adults have ever used prescription drugs for
recreational purposes. Although only a tiny minority of people in all
areas have ever used prescription drugs for recreational purposes,
those living in Scotland and the northwest of England are more likely
to have done so than people living elsewhere in the country. People
who have taken an illegal drug are more than twice as likely to have
also experimented with prescription drugs for recreational purposes
(10 per cent).

Steroids are the most popular drug to be used this way (taken by 19
per cent of people who have used prescription drugs for recreational
purposes), followed by temazepam (taken by 15 per cent) and Valium (11
per cent).

A little under a fifth of UK adults (19 per cent) have ever suffered
side effects or withdrawal symptoms from drugs prescribed by their
doctor. However, 33 per cent of people do not feel confident that
prescribed drugs have been properly tested for side effects. Faith in
the medical profession to test prescription drugs for side effects
varies with the age of the respondent: although 74 per cent of people
aged between 16 and 34 are confident that prescribed drugs have been
properly tested, only 64 per cent of people aged 35 or over are so
convinced.

53 per cent of UK adults believe that they have a reasonable level of
knowledge about drugs and the issues surrounding them. Given the
relatively recent incorporation of drugs education into the national
curriculum it is encouraging, if not surprising, that 72 per cent of
16-24-year-olds consider themselves either very knowledgeable or quite
knowledgeable about drugs. People aged over 55 are less than half as
likely to feel this way. Interestingly, people who support the
decriminalisation or legalisation of certain drugs are much more
likely to feel well-informed about drugs than those who take a less
liberal stance on drugs legislation.

'Hard' drugs are deemed to pose the greatest health risk by the UK
population. Heroin is seen as the most dangerous drug by 27 per cent
of people and crack by 20 per cent. In 2002, tobacco was seen as the
third most dangerous drug after heroin and crack. This is no longer
the case: cocaine and ecstasy are now both considered more harmful.

As was the case six years ago, marijuana is perceived to be the least
hazardous illegal drug by all age groups - 17 per cent of people
believe it to be the least risky drug. However, alcohol is seen as by
far the least dangerous to health if legal drugs are included - 47 per
cent of people label it as such. Around half this proportion (23 per
cent) believe that tobacco is the least harmful drug.

The perceptions are generally in line with government classification.
The class A drugs (crack, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy) are perceived to
be the most dangerous by UK adults. Amphetamines (class B if not
injected) are seen as less dangerous by the UK public than the class
As but more dangerous than cannabis. And marijuana (class C) is seen
as the least dangerous. The drugs that fall outside of this pattern
are obviously alcohol and tobacco.

Methodology

A sample of 1,008 UK adults aged 16+ were interviewed by ICM Research
in October 2008. Participants completed a confidential questionnaire,
which was then placed in a sealed envelope. Interviews were conducted
across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile
of all adults.

. Poll analysis - Olivia Horsfield, Research & Customer Insight