The document provides statistics and information about alcohol and drug use and related harms in the UK: - The number of individuals disqualified from driving due to drink or drug driving offenses has increased each year from 2011 to 2015. - Prisoners are much more likely than the general population to have experienced adverse childhood experiences like abuse, violence at home, and time in care, and to have issues like unemployment, homelessness, and mental health problems. - Alcohol-related deaths have been decreasing in the UK overall since the early 2000s, though rates are still higher in northern regions of England and Scotland compared to southern regions.

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

2. Disqualified from driving after being convicted of a
drink or drug driving offence
60,890
58,652
53,819
50,523
36,438
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Source: FOI release: Number of individuals who have been disqualified from driving after a drink driving offence

3. Age profile of those disqualified from driving
following a drink or drug driving offence 2011 to
2015
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95
Male Female
Source: FOI release: Number of individuals who have been disqualified from driving after a drink driving offence

4. Incidents where drugs were found in prison, England
and Wales
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Source: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2016-01-05.20933.h&s=drug#g20933.r0
Where more than one drug type is found within a single incident, each drug type is counted
individually.

5. Proportions of men and women in England drinking
above the CMO low risk guideline of 14 units a
week, by age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Male
More than 50 units
(higher risk)
More than 35, up to 50
units (increasing risk)
More than 28, up to 35
units (increasing risk)
More than 21, up to 28
units (increasing risk)
More than 14, up to 21
units (lower risk)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Female
More than 50 units
(higher risk)
More than 35, up to 50
units (higher risk)
More than 28, up to 35
units (increasing risk)
More than 21, up to 28
units (increasing risk)
More than 14, up to 21
units (increasing risk)
Source: Health Survey for England (2104)

6. Self reported drinking behaviours of adults invited
to Health Check
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
Non-drinker Trivial <1 units/day Light 1–2 units/day Moderate 3–6
units/day
Heavy 7–9 units/day Very heavy >9
units/day
NHS Health Check No NHS Health Check
Source: The NHS Health Check in England: an evaluation of the first 4 years
n = 214,295 n = 1,464,729

7. Finds of alcohol in prisons in England and Wales,
2005 to 2014
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Number of Incidents
Source: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-06/21315/

8. Hidden Hurt – violence, abuse, and disadvantage in
the lives of women
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Little violence
or abuse
Physical from
partner
Extensive
physical from
partner
Sexual as child
only
Sexual as adult Extensive
physical/ sexual
as child and
adult
Drug Alcohol
“Women in the
extensive physical and
sexual violence group
are more than twice
as likely to have an
alcohol problem (31%
do so) and are eight
times more likely to
be drug dependent
than women in the
group with little
experience of violence
and abuse.”
Source: http://weareagenda.org/policy-research/agendas-reports/

9. The social characteristics of prisoners as a
percentage of the prison population and the general
population
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Taken into care as a child
Experienced abuse as a child
Observed violence in the home as a child
Regularly truant from school
Expelled or permanently excluded from school
No qualifications
Unemployed in the four weeks before custody
Never had a job
Homeless before entering custody
Have children under the age of 18
Have symptoms indicative of psychosis
Identified as suffering from both anxiety and depression
Have attempted suicide at some point
Have ever used class A drugs
Drank alcohol every day in the four weeks before custody
Proportion of general population Proportion of prison population
Source: Prisons And Prevention Giving Local Areas The Power To Reduce Offending
“Relative to the
average member
of the general
public, prisoners
are four times
more likely to
show symptoms of
psychosis; three
times more likely
to have been
homeless; and 12
times more likely
to have been in
care as a child.”

10. New opiate and crack-cocaine users: characteristics
and trends
-00
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Model 1 estimated OCU incidence
Model 2 estimated OCU incidence
Though data on this population is imperfect, a number
of different data sources and methodologies are
available to estimate OCU incidence. From these, three
key conclusions emerge:
• The number of new opiate/crack users is clearly far
lower now than it was in the 1980s and early 1990s
and has even dropped 20-45% since 2005.
• This means numbers of new users in 2013 may be
around 5,000-8,000 with an approximate upper
bound of 10,000; and numbers involved with prolific
criminality will be lower still.
• The downward trend in new OCUs has flattened
since about 2011, but available data do not suggest
that this is the precursor to a new increase. If
anything, the downward trend may resume in 2014,
though the situation requires further monitoring.
Source: New opiate and crack-cocaine users: characteristics and trends

11. Christmas drink and drug drive campaign results
957 931
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Negative screen Postitive screen
POLICE ADMINISTERED
ROADSIDE DRUG TESTS
Negative screen Postitive screen
n = 1,888
104,683
5,543
-
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
Negative screen Positive screen (or refused)
POLICE ADMINISTERED BREATH
TESTS
Negative screen Positive screen (or refused)
n = 110,226
Source: http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/getting-drugs-off-our-roads-christmas-drink-and-drug-drive-campaign-results

12. Rate per 100,000 of alcohol related deaths in the
UK
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Male Female
Source: Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 2014

13. Rate per 100,000 of alcohol related deaths
registered in 2014, by region and sex
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
North West North East West Midlands Yorkshire and
The Humber
East Midlands London South West South East East of England
Male Female
Source: Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 2014

14. Trends in rates of alcohol related deaths by region
and sex
MALES
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Scotland
North West
North East
West Midlands
Wales
Yorkshire and The Humber
East Midlands
London
South West
South East
East of England
FEMALES
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
Source: Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 2014

15. Number of alcohol related deaths registered in
2014 in the UK, by age and sex
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
<1 01-04 05-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+
Male Female
Source: Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 2014

16. Causes of death in alcohol related deaths registered
in England in 2014
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Alcoholic polyneuropathy
Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent
Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
Alcoholic gastritis
Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis
Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
Mental & behavioural disorders due to alcohol use
Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
Alcoholic liver disease
Number of deaths
Females (England) Males (England)
Source: Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 2014