CHEAPER, EASIER TO GET, HARDER TO POLICE: BRITAIN'S DRUG PROBLEM

The War On Drugs Is High On Labour's Latest Agenda. A New Report Will Make
Sobering Reading.

An ecstasy tablet that costs as little as a bar of chocolate and a line of
cocaine for the price of a glass of wine. Many illegal drugs are cheaper
and more widely available than ever before in Britain, despite the
relentless attack by Customs and the police on traffickers and dealers.

Class A drugs are now within the reach of an ever-widening group of people.
It is no longer the preserve of hard-core addicts but also young,
recreational users looking for weekend hits that can work out cheaper than
a binge-drinking session down the pub. A gram of cocaine can be bought for
as little as UKP35 according to the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit (IDMU)
which has published research for the first time showing the average price
of street drugs, including cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and cannabis, every
year for nearly a decade. The reasons for the decline are complex and vary
from drug to drug, ranging from increased competition between gangs to a
decline in demand for now unfashionable ecstasy. Heroin can now be cut with
cheaper chemicals, making it more dangerous, while cannabis traffickers
have in part been hit by a huge rise in home-grown cannabis.

Matthew Atha, from the IDMU, which provides expert evidence on drugs in
court cases, said that the increase in recreational users had also
influenced drug prices.

"Cocaine especially has become more attractive to professional types who
use it on special occasions or to users who share it between their
friends," he said.

The changing profile of dealers has also influenced prices across the
country. Once the illicit drugs market was controlled by a select number of
established crime gangs or families. But the increase in competition means
that these have now been overtaken or replaced by a multitude of
traffickers, including Kurds and Albanians who are forcing other dealers to
diversify and lower their prices.

In the case of powder cocaine, this new breed of dealer is operating on a
low profit margin - retail prices in London are said to be the equivalent
of UKP40,000 a kilo compared with up to UKP32,000 a kilo for the wholesale
price. In London, established Colombian importers are now using British
drug criminals to manage the supply chain.

The decreasing purity of some drugs, especially heroin, is another factor
in the fall in prices. Dealers are importing the drug, adulterating it with
chemicals, then selling it on the street for as little as UKP35 a gram.
This is less than half the price in 1995 although in reality a gram
contains far less pure heroin.

The fall in the price of heroin has shocked many anti-drug abuse charities.
Release, a charity that offers drug safety advice, says it has received
anecdotal reports that heroin is selling for as little as UKP600 for 28
grams - about UKP21 a gram.

"I didn't believe it at first. That is by far the cheapest I have heard of
in 12 years of involvement," said Gary Sutton, head of drugs services at
Release.

"The price of heroin has dropped dramatically even over the past two months."

Another more fundamental reason for the steady drop in prices is that
traffickers are flooding Britain with class A drugs because demand from
users has increased. A report published last week by the EU's drug
monitoring unit revealed that cocaine abuse is more prevalent in Britain
than anywhere else in Europe for example.

1,100 people in the past three years. Nearly 3,000 of the city's 8,000
problem drug-users are in treatment as part of a UKP3m programme.

Alison Comley, head of the city's community safety and drug strategy, says
improvements are being made but there is still a long way to go.

"Bristol has a particular issue with crack and heroin," says Ms Comley. "We
have to stop the drugs getting into the city in the first place, help
people get off and liaise with neighbouring cities."

Martin Barnes, chief executive of drugs charity Drugscope, said: "Political
point-scoring on the issue seems to be increasingly the norm. Parents are
right to be worried about their children taking drugs, but we need more
information and debate, not the promotion of fear."

Mike Trace, a former government drugs adviser, said ministers were right to
target problematic drug users but that punitive measures would not work.
"It would be wrong to think that stronger coercion into treatment will make
the system work better - the focus should be on improving the quality of
the treatment available," said Mr Trace, director of the Beckley Foundation
drug policy programme.

However, there are drugs law reformers who are calling for a more radical
approach leading to legalisation. Transform, which campaigns for effective
drug policies, says that an "enormous" part of the drugs epidemic in
Britain is directly related to prohibition.

"A responsible government would not abrogate responsibility for the supply
of drugs by gifting it to organised criminals and unregulated dealers,"
says Danny Kushlick, Transform's director.

Additional reporting by Malcolm Fitzwilliams and Charlotte Norton

Cannabis

1994 UKP15/eighth of an ounce 2004 UKP10

Aka: hash, pot, marijuana, dope, weed, grass

What is it? A plant, the leaves of which are smoked. Can also be eaten.

Appearance? Dried green leaves, brown in its resin form.

Effects? Relaxation and contentment.

Dangerous? Can cause mild paranoia and worsen existing mental disorders.

'It's become more respectable'

Steve, 29, a joiner, has smoked cannabis for 11 years

Steve smokes at least one joint a day but doesn't smoke cigarettes. It is
quite easily available in Hull for about UKP40 an ounce, he says.

"Alcohol doesn't interest me," he says. "I drink four of five units a week.
I just enjoy cannabis more. It relaxes me, to be honest. I could have three
or four pints but I wouldn't get the same effect and would feel bad the
next morning.

"I think it has become more acceptable, especially to the older generation,
really."

Cocaine

1994 UKP57/gram 2003 UKP46

Aka: coke, snow.

What is it? Processed cocoa leaf.

Appearance? A crystalline white powder.

Effects? Self-confidence and well-being.

Dangerous? Addictive. Risk of heart attack. Long-term use can destroy nasal
membranes and induce psychosis.

'I had the best evening'

Jane, 33, started taking cocaine regularly five years ago

Jane didn't like cocaine the first time she tried it. But five years later
she met a new partner whose friends were regular users.

"That time I loved it," she says. " I'd been to the pub for a birthday. I
had quite a lot and we talked and talked and I had the best evening."

For about a year Jane took cocaine every weekend, spending UKP60 a time.
"It isn't glamorous," she says. "Some of the places you snort it can be
quite disgusting. But I had a brilliant time dancing all night. Then I
split up with my partner and stopped seeing those people, and gradually
stopped using cocaine. But I'd never say never.

Ecstasy

1994 UKP14/tablet 2003 UKP4

Aka: E, MDMA.

What is it? A chemical which occurs naturally, first synthesised around 1910.

Appearance? Tablet, capsule or powder form.

Effects? Feeling of euphorialasts for several hours.

Dangerous? Dehydration; there are concerns about long-term effects and
impurities.

'I was smiling at everyone'

James, 39, a musician, takes ecstasy occasionally

I first had it about nine years ago. I thought it was fabulous. The people
who introduced me to it were hardened clubbers. We went to Heaven. I was
wandering around smiling at everyone and everyone was smiling back. I had
rushes of euphoria; I was dancing and getting into the music."

But James has never been "gung-ho" about drugs and so only uses ecstasy
occasionally. "I did have that Tuesday thing but nothing really bad," he
says, referring to the delayed ecstasy comedown. "I think if something
changes in your brain there's probably some kind of payback. I'm not
looking out for it but I would never say never."

Heroin

1994 UKP80/gram 2003 UKP35

Aka: brown, skag, smack, H.

What is it? Opiate from the poppy.

Appearance? White in purest form but usually reddish brown. Injected, smoked.

Effects? Well-being, warmth.

Dangerous? Addictive, risk of overdose. Injecting risks hepatitis or HIV.
'Cut' with pollutants.

'I was burying emotional pain'

Patricia Goacher, 42, was an addict for 14 years

Ms Goacher lost her partner to a drug-related illness. The couple used to
pay UKP1,000 for an ounce of heroin, but Ms Goacher says the price has tumbled.

"Everything is half the price it used to be," she says.

Her addiction has left her with needle scars and a criminal record for
possession. "I was burying more and more emotional pain that I had created
for myself," she says. "The more shame you have, the more you want to
suppress those feelings. That is what heroin does. It suppresses feelings."

She now works to promote better health and education among drug users.

Crack

1994 UKP22/rock 2003 UKP22

Aka: rocks, white.

What is it? Smokeable cocaine.

Appearance? White waxy rocks smoked in a pipe.

Effects? Intense euphoria lasts a few minutes then a strong 10-minute high.

Dangerous? Addictive. 'Crash' leads user to want more. Risk of overdose,
heart and lung failure.

'I stole two mobiles and gold'

Website post from a 17-year-old student turned prostitute:

Yesterday i saw my councellor (2 get off crack) finished college, did
coursework. i then went to the area worked my arse off. some man let me
into his house i stole 2 mobiles and a jewlery box filled with indian gold.
i WALKED out, sold it and smoked all the riches of it. Was out until
6.30am, tooting. got home washed and went to college. getting picked up at
5 and gonna do the whole thing again. i just have not got the willpower to
stop. i justify being a prostitute and smoking white with the fact im in
college and i see a councellor. i dont wanna stop and yet i knowall the
effects of this bullshit. someone please man. please.