COCAINE FLOODS THE PLAYGROUND

Use Of The Addictive Drug By Children Doubles In A Year

COCAINE use among children has doubled in a year as the fashionable
drug of the middle classes extends its reach from the dinner party to
the playground.

Hundreds of thousands of 11 to 15-year-olds are being offered the
Class A drug, which is flooding into the country, according to
government figures published yesterday.

An estimated total of 65,000 - one in 50 children aged 11-15 - said
they had taken cocaine, which is known by euphemisms such as "zip"
and "tickets" by youngsters who are increasingly experimenting with the drug.

Drug agencies explained the surge in cocaine use among pupils on its
increasing availability in cities and towns throughout the country.

"We are talking about availability on the streets. Cocaine is the big
one," said Danny Kushlick of the anti-drug organisation Transform. He
said that while cannabis use among youngsters was stable or falling,
cocaine use was rising.

"It is more available and socially acceptable. Once cocaine use
reached acceptability among the 20 and 30-year-olds, it was only a
matter of time before it started to become fashionable among youngsters."

Europe's drug agency said last year that Britain was awash with
cocaine and it is top of the European league for use of the drug.

Figures published yesterday showed that cocaine use among 11 to
15-year-olds doubled from 1 per cent to 2 per cent between 2004 and
2005. The official study questioned more than 9,000 pupils in 305
schools in England at the start of the autumn term last year. There
are an estimated 3.2 million pupils aged 11-15. Based on the survey
findings, an estimated 65,000 pupils took cocaine last year.

A total of 320,000 were offered the drug, including almost 100,000
15-year-olds and 35,000 11-year-olds.

Overall, 11 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds had taken an illegal drug
in the month before they were questioned.

The study found that generally the prevalence of drug use among 11 to
15-year-olds remained broadly stable between 2004 and 2005 with the
exception of use of cocaine and glue, gas and other solvents.

Police and customs officers are struggling to cope with the quantity
of cocaine being smuggled into Britain. In 2004-05 almost 11 tonnes
of the drug were seized in Britain against a target of 12.6 tonnes. A
further 54 tonnes were seized en route to the UK.

The value of the cocaine market is up to UKP3 billion a year. At a
price of between UKP50 and UKP60 a gram, that means up to 60 tonnes
of the drug are sold in Britain each year.

Its increased popularity is in part because of the street price,
which has remained stable for several years. To reach younger users,
dealers now sell cocaine in half-gram packages for UKP25. It is, for
many youngsters, the weekend drug of choice in pubs and clubs.

Nearly 12 per cent of all young adults under the age of 35 in the UK
have tried the drug at least once, theEU drugs agency said in November.

The arrival of cocaine as the "stimulant drug of choice" for many
young Britons is bringing a growing death toll and health problems as
it spreads from middle-class dinner tables to council estates.

There is a plentiful supply of the drug, with several organised crime
syndicates involved in its importation.

British crime gangs collude with Dutch and Spanish criminals, African
networks and the South American cartels to bring the drug into the
country. Caribbean gangs are also heavily involved.

Tighter controls in Spain and the Netherlands have meant that drug
smugglers have found new routes into Britain, frequently via Africa.

The Government has made the fight against Class A drugs the No 1
priority for the Serious Organised Crime Agency which comes into
operation next month. Its investigators will have new powers to
compel witnesses to give evidence and offer incentives to criminals
to give evidence against their bosses. The courts will also have
greater scope to recoup the assets of drug barons.

The supermodel Kate Moss was blamed by experts for helping to
"normalise" cocaine use in the eyes of children. Professor Frank
Furedi, a parenting expert and sociologist, said that besides
becoming cheaper and more easily accessible, cocaine was now regarded
by children as a normal adult habit."

A spokesman for the Children's Commissioner said: "While the increase
in availability and the decrease in cost may be the main factor, the
use of cocaine by celebrities such as Moss is unlikely to have helped."

The Government has made the fight against Class A drugs the No 1
priority for the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which comes into
operation next month. Its investigators will be equipped with new
powers to compel witnesses to give evidence and offer incentives to
criminals to give evidence against their bosses. The courts will also
have greater scope to recoup the assets of drug barons.

Last night Jenny McWhirter, the chairwoman of the Drug Education
Forum, said: "Drug use is a serious issue for young people in
England, which is why we believe drug education must remain a
priority for parents, schools, youth services and young people themselves."

She added: "It is encouraging that, despite higher numbers of young
people being offered illegal drugs, the headline figures for those
using all drugs are stable, or even falling slightly, but there is no
room for complacency."

The number of cocaine offences in 2004 rose by 16 per cent from 6,970
to 8,070 in England and Wales. Almost four out of ten cocaine
possession cases result in the offender being given a caution.

HARD FACTS

Cocaine is a Class A drug. Maximum jail sentence of 7 years for
possession. Supplying the drug can bring an unlimited fine and
maximum sentence is life

Also known as coke, charlie, white, snow, yang and percy

Commonly sold as a white powder that is snorted up the nose with a
rolled banknote or straw

Makes users feel euphoric, wide awake and confident - for 30 minutes

Very addictive. May be long-term changes to nervous system