1.
Interesting things about
alcohol and other drugs
June 2016
ANDREW BROWN
@ANDREWBROWN365

2.
Proportion of service users saying specific aspects of
probation have changed for the better or worse since
Transforming Rehabilitation
Source: “Transforming Rehabilitation” The operational model from the service user’s perspective
20% 22%
27%
19%
24%
18%
21%
17%
27%
42%
Help with
offending
behaviour
Help with
relationships
Help with addiction Help with
employment
Help with housing
Better
Worse

3.
Two in five Scottish prisoners were drunk (41%) and/or
under the influence of drugs (40%) at the time of their
offence
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
I was drunk at the time of my
offence
I am worried that alcohol will
be a problem for me when I
get out
I was under the influence of
drugs at the time of my
offence
I am worried that my drug
taking will be a problem when
I get out
Source: Scottish Prison Service Prisoners Survey 2015

4.
Proportions of Scottish prisoners receiving treatment for
mental ill-health and/or drug use
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
During your time in this prison, on this
sentence have you attended mental health
services
I have received help/treatment for drug use
during my sentence
2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
Source: Scottish Prison Service Prisoners Survey 2015

5.
Self reported drug use in prison by Scottish prisoners
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
Have you ever used illegal drugs in prison?
Have you used illegal drugs in the last month while in this prison?
Have you ever injected drugs in prison?
Of those who reported ever using
drugs in prison in the 2015 survey:
• 76% said their drug use has
changed during their current
period in prison
• Six in ten said their drug use
has decreased (60%)
• 20% said it increased
• 10% reported that they had the
same use but different drugs
• 10% stated they only started
using drugs in prison
• Of those who injected in prison
82% shared works
Source: Scottish Prison Service Prisoners Survey 2015

6.
A quarter (27%) of Scottish prisoners had used an New
Psychoactive Substance (NPS) before going into prison and
one in ten prisoners (11%) said they had used them in prison
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Not sure Downer Hallucinogen Stimulant / Upper Synthetic Cannabis
Which categories of NPS had prisoners taken, outside and inside prison,
amongst those who used them
Outside prison Inside prison
Source: Scottish Prison Service Prisoners Survey 2015

7.
Where were Scottish prisoners living before their current
sentence and where to they anticipate living when they
leave prison?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Where were you living before coming into prison? Where will you be living when you leave prison?
Source: Scottish Prison Service Prisoners Survey 2015

8.
Rates of rough sleeping per 1,000 households by
English region between 2010 and 2015
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
London West Midlands East Midlands
North West East England South East
South West North East Yorkshire and the Humber
Source: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7586
Estimates of numbers of
rough sleepers are
produced by local
authorities annually, each
Autumn. Each local
authority can decide
whether to carry out a
count of rough sleepers
or produce an estimate
based on contact with
local experts (e.g.
charities, the police).

9.
Estimated number of rough sleepers in England by
region
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
East Midlands East of England London
North East North West South East
South West West Midlands Yorkshire and Humber
Source: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7586

10.
The economic burden of ill health due to diet,
physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and obesity in
the UK
£117
£542
£936
£3,228 £3,267
£5,146
£5,793
£-
£1,000
£2,000
£3,000
£4,000
£5,000
£6,000
£7,000
Ischaemic
stroke
Ischaemic
heart
disease
Breast
cancer
Alcohol Smoking Overweight
and obesity
Poor diet
£millions
Estimated costs to NHS In 2006–07, 46% of total NHS costs
(over £43 billion) were due to
diseases related to poor diet,
physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol
and overweight/obesity (although
not all of these costs were due to the
risk factors, since not all of the
incident cases of these conditions
were due to the risk factors).
The estimate for the cost of alcohol-
related ill health was increased, due
to an increase in the percentage of
NHS costs due to alcohol-related
conditions.
Source: The economic burden of ill health due to diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and obesity in the UK: an update to 2006–07 NHS costs

11.
Incident rate of adolescent poisonings per 100,000
person years in the UK
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
1992–1996 1997–2001 2002–2006 2007–2012
• Adolescent poisonings in the UK have
increased substantially from 1992 to 2012,
the vast majority being intentional
followed by alcohol related poisonings.
• Poisoning rates are 2–3 times higher in
the most deprived socioeconomic groups
compared with the least deprived, and this
inequality has not improved over time.
• Intentional poisonings in females are
considerably higher than in males, and
this gap has increased over time. Tailoring
of interventions based on the age and sex
profiles of risk need consideration in
planning and commissioning services.
Source:: Changes In Poisonings Among Adolescents In The UK Between 1992 And 2012: A Population Based Cohort Study

12.
Proportion of the public in selected European countries
perceiving e-cigarettes as harmful
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2012 2014
Source: Two-year trends and predictors of e-cigarette use in 27 European Union member states
As e-cigarettes become more popular, more
information becomes available and evidence on
potential risks associated with its use is
accumulated. Perceptions could also be
influenced by public health campaigns, advertising
and attitudes of health professionals and public
health agencies towards e-cigarettes. For
example, Public Health England recently
published a report highlighting the potential of e-
cigarettes as a harm reduction device, whereas
most public health agencies in the EU have not
done anything similar. Even though this report
was published after the second wave of the
survey, it might reflect a more favourable stance
of authorities towards e-cigarettes in the UK,
which may explain why it had one of the lowest
proportions of respondents who perceive e-
cigarettes as harmful.

13.
Substance use findings from “Suicide by children and
young people in England” report
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Male Female Under 18 18-19 years
Alcohol use seen as excessive Illicit drug use Family substance misuse “Most of the antecedents of suicide
identified in this study—exam pressures,
abuse, bullying, bereavement, physical health
conditions, and self-harm—were more
common in females. Illicit drug use was more
common in males. Males were less likely to
be known to services.
“There were also differences in antecedents
in those under 18 or 18-19 years old. Abuse,
academic pressures and bullying were more
common in those under 18, while excessive
alcohol use, illicit drug use and serious self-
harm were more common in 18-19 year
olds.”
Source: Suicide by children and young people in England. National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH). Manchester: University of Manchester, 2016.
n = 145