COCAINE USE 'RISING AMONG UNDER-24s'

The proportion of young adults taking cocaine has almost doubled
under Labour, intensifying pressure on Gordon Brown to toughen up its
drugs policy.

Figures from the Home Office's British Crime Survey showed the number
of 16 to 24-year-olds in England and Wales who admitted taking
cocaine in the previous year increased from 3.2 per cent in 1998 to
6.1 per cent in 2006/07.

The survey estimated that 375,000 took the drug in the 12 months to
March this year.

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: "These latest
statistics show that Labour continues to fail to get a grip on the
drug culture in this country. This is because their approach has been
designed to ignore the issue if possible and do the very least if forced to."

The Conservatives would set up a border police force to stem the flow
of drugs into the country and ensure tougher custodial punishments
for drug possession, he said.

Vernon Coaker, a Home Office minister, said: "Across the country we
have seen overall drug use fall since the British Crime Survey first
started measuring it in 1996 but we are not complacent and know that
there is still a lot of work to do in tackling drug misuse --
especially cocaine."

Martin Barnes, chief executive of the drug information charity
DrugScope, said: "The continued use of cocaine powder, particularly
among young people, is of concern.

"We have highlighted the increased availability and affordability of
powder cocaine, a drug which has both severe health risks and the
potential for dependency."

The survey also showed that more than one in five young people, about
1.35 million, smoked cannabis during the year to March.

Cannabis was downgraded to a Class C drug three years ago, meaning
users no longer face automatic arrest and police can simply give
those in possession a formal warning instead.

Around 66,000 warnings were issued last year.

The Conservatives have pledged to reclassify it and police chiefs
have expressed concern that its current status sends mixed messages
to young people.