The latest (2024) drug trends

Particular person drug use tendencies

Hashish

Hashish has persistently been essentially the most used drug in England and Wales since estimates started in 1995. Within the newest yr, 6.8% of individuals aged 16 to 59 years and 13.8% of individuals aged 16 to 24 years reported having used the drug within the final yr. Ranges have been decrease for these aged 16 to 59 years, in contrast with yr finish (YE) March 2023 (7.6%), however there was no statistically vital change for these aged 16 to 24 years.

Powder cocaine

There was no statistically vital change within the prevalence of powder cocaine use within the final yr for individuals aged 16 to 59 years (2.1%) and 16 to 24 years (3.8%), in contrast with the earlier yr.

Nitrous oxide

Within the final yr, 0.9% of individuals aged 16 to 59 years had used nitrous oxide. It is a lower, in contrast with 2023 (1.3%). There was no statistically vital change in the usage of nitrous oxide in these aged 16 to 24 years (3.3%), in contrast with the earlier yr, however ranges have been decrease, in contrast with 2014 (7.6%).

Ecstasy

Prevalence of ecstasy use within the final yr remained just like the earlier yr. Round 1.2% of individuals aged 16 to 59 years and a pair of.2% of individuals aged 16 to 24 years reported taking this drug within the final yr. Nonetheless, ecstasy use was decrease in 16 to 59 yr olds, in contrast with YE March 2014 (1.6%).

Hallucinogens

There was no statistically vital change within the prevalence of general hallucinogen (lysergic acid diethylamide and magic mushrooms) use within the final yr in individuals aged 16 to 59 years (1.2%) or 16 to 24 years (2.9%), in contrast with YE March 2023. Nonetheless, there was a rise in magic mushroom use in individuals aged 16 to 59 years, from 0.8% to 1.1%.

Different medication

Prevalence of use within the final yr was under one p.c for all different particular person drug sorts, aside from ketamine (2.9%) and new psychoactive substances (1.7%) in these aged 16 to 24 years. There was no statistically vital change in ketamine use, in contrast with YE March 2023 and YE March 2014 in these aged 16 to 24 years. Nonetheless, there was a rise in these aged 16 to 59 years (0.8%), in contrast with YE March 2014 (0.6%).

There have been no statistically vital modifications for different particular person drug sorts, in contrast with YE March 2023 . That is aside from crack cocaine use in these aged 16 to 59 years, which decreased to round 0.03% from 0.10%.

Age of drug customers

As is at all times the case, the proportion of youthful individuals aged 16 to 24 years (16.5%) reporting any drug use within the final yr was greater for the yr ending March 2024, in contrast with older individuals aged 25 to 59 years (7.2%).

There have been no statistically vital modifications in any drug use within the totally different age teams, in contrast with YE March 2023. Nonetheless, there have been will increase in any drug use for these aged 45 to 54 years and 55 to 59 years, in contrast with YE March 2014.

There was a narrowing within the variations between age teams since these knowledge have been first collected within the Nineties. It is a results of drug use lowering in youthful age teams and growing in older age teams.