RAPID RISE IN COCAINE USE AIDED BY TWO-TIER PRICES, SAY CHARITIES

Number Of People Treated Almost Doubles

Focus On Heroin And Crack 'Should Be Reviewed'

A two-tier market in luxury and cut-price cocaine is developing in
Britain, according to an annual survey by drug charities. Feedback
from 80 drug services, police forces and drug action teams in 20
towns and cities shows that the rapid expansion in the use of the
drug is being fuelled by street dealers selling cheaper, low-grade
cocaine to teenagers, pub users and those on low incomes to mix with
other drugs.

This cut-price cocaine - at around UKP30 a gram - is reported to be
available in virtually every part of Britain, while more affluent
customers are being offered much higher quality cocaine at UKP50 a gram.

The DrugScope 2007 survey reports that in Birmingham individual
dealers are offering their customers a choice of two grades of
cocaine - "commercialised" at UKP30 a gram and "Peruvian" at UKP50 a
gram. In Nottingham a higher-quality form of cocaine is known as "rocket fuel".

The rapid growth in cut-price cocaine is reflected in new figures
from the National Treatment Agency which show that the number of
people going into treatment with cocaine as their main problem drug
has nearly doubled, from 4,474 in 2003-04 to 8,609 in 2005-06. The
number of teenagers in treatment for cocaine in the last two years
has risen from 231 to 471.

The DrugScope survey says that over the past decade there has been a
shift in the position of cocaine in the UK drug economy, with its use
no longer restricted to the rich, although it has not completely lost
its glamorous associations of the past.

Many users appear unconcerned about its class A criminal status or
its serious health risks of heart problems, mental ill health and
potential for dependency.

The charity says it is an urban myth that cocaine is cut with talcum
powder or rat poison, and the most common chemicals used are a pain
reliever usually found in mouth ointment and a local anaesthetic used
by dentists. Bargain basement cocaine is far less pure than a decade
ago, at around 30%.

The annual survey also shows that a similar two-tier market is
developing for ecstasy, with cut-price pills selling for as little as
UKP2.40 and most commonly sold in batches of up to five for UKP10.

Often these cut-price pills will not contain any MDMA - the active
ingredient for ecstasy - but instead are made from amphetamine base,
while those drug users willing to pay a premium for crystal or powder
MDMA are being charged an average price of UKP38 a gram.

The street price survey says that standard quality herbal cannabis
sells for UKP87 an ounce, with resin cannabis at UKP55 an ounce.
Heroin sells at UKP10 for a 0.15 gram bag, or UKP43 a gram.

Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope, said the government's
strategy of concentrating on tackling use of heroin and crack cocaine
was not necessarily the right response. "We are concerned that we may
be entering a new era of problem drug use relating less to heroin and
crack and more to the misuse of alcohol, cocaine, cannabis and
ecstasy. The longer-term public health impacts of such a shift should
not be underestimated," he said.

Drug market

Average street prices 2007 (2006)

Herbal cannabis (standard quality) UKP87 an ounce (UKP70)

Herbal cannabis (good quality): UKP134 an ounce (UKP121)

Resin cannabis UKP55 an ounce (UKP54)

Heroin UKP43 a gram (UKP46)

Cocaine UKP43 a gram (UKP43)

Ecstasy UKP2.40 a pill (UKP3)

Crystal powder MDMA UKP38 a gram (UKP40)

Amphetamine UKP9.80 a gram (UKP9.70)

Ketamine UKP25 a gram (UKP28)

Source: DrugScope