Drug offences fall as cocaine use reaches new levels

The overall number of drug offences recorded in England and Wales fell by 21 per cent in 2004, according to the latest statistics published this month by the Home Office.

But while more than half of the recorded drug offences during 2004 related to either cannabis possession (55 per cent) or cannabis dealing (four per cent), one in 10 of the offences related to cocaine, with cocaine offences reaching a record high of 8.070. The statistics also reveal a two per cent increase in the number of Class A offences, to 36,350 during the 12-month period.

The total number of recorded offences in England and Wales fell to 105,570, from the 133,970 offences recorded in 2003, and the vast majority (85 per cent) related to possession.

However, formal warnings data for cannabis possession also became available for the first time in April 2004, and the statistics reveal that between April and December that year, police officers issued 27,520 formal warnings.

One of the major differences in the latest figures resulted from the reclassification of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug at the end of January 2004. The move led to a 92 per cent fall in Class B offences between 2003 and 2004, while Class C offences rose from 1,660 to 59,050 in the same period.

But the report states: “On the old basis, when cannabis was classified as a Class B offence, the overall change in Class B and Class C offences would have been a fall of 39 and 67 per cent respectively.”

Other key statistics in the report include:

•Thirteen per cent of all drug offenders (10,040 offenders) were dealt with for heroin drug offences in 2004; heroin possession accounted for nine per cent of all drug offenders and heroin dealing for four per cent.

•The number of crack offenders, which has been reported separately from cocaine since 1994, has risen from 370 to 2,440 in 2004, although still only representing three per cent of all drugs offenders. Crack possession and dealing offenders accounted for two and one per cent of all drug offenders respectively in 2004.

•The number of ecstasy-type offences rose to 6,800 (seven per cent) in 2001, but fell to 5,230 (six per cent) in 2004.

The report also highlighted the punishments given to drug offenders, with cautions (44%) the most common disposal used for possession offences in 2004. Dealing offences, which account-ed for 14% of all drug offenders during the year, led to immediate conviction in 61 per cent of cases, with community sentences used in 17 per cent of cases.