In the 2023/24 reporting year, Merseyside Police reported 7.9 drug offences per 1,000 population, the highest among police force areas of England and Wales in this year.

In 2023/24, there were 181,421 drug offences in England and Wales, compared with 179,467 in the previous year. For the period between 2002/03 and the most recent reporting year, drug offences in England and Wales peaked in 2008/09 when their were over 243,000 of these offences. Since the peak in 2008/09 the number of drug offences has declined, with 2017/18 having the fewest number of offences. Cannabis involved in highest number of seizures In 2022/23, the police and border forces in England and Wales made approximately 140,370 seizures of cannabis, the most of any drug. By comparison, the next-most common drug, Cocaine, was seized by the police just 18,978 times. While the current government has no plans to legalize cannabis, approximately 32 percent of UK citizens surveyed in 2024 thought that the drug should be legal, with a further 24 percent supporting its decriminalization. Recent surveys also indicate that almost one in three people in England and Wales had used Cannabis at some point in their lives, despite it being illegal. Regional drug crime When broken down by individual police force areas, Merseyside Police, who cover the city of Liverpool, had the highest drug crime rate in England and Wales, at 8.6 offences per 1,000 population. For the whole of England and Wales, the drug crime rate per 1,000 people was three, and was lowest in Dorset, where it was just 1.3. In terms of drug seizures, London was the region with the highest drug seizure rate in England and Wales in 2022/23 at 3,920 seizures per million people, followed by the North East of England at 3,832. By contrast, the West Midlands of England had the lowest of any region, with 1,545 seizures per million people in the same year.

The extent and trends in illicit drug use among a nationally representative sample of 16 to 59 year olds resident in households in England and Wales. This release is based on results from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW, formerly the British Crime Survey) and includes comparisons with previous years and trends since 1996.

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) on the extent and trends of illicit drug use.

In 2023/24 there were approximately 58,275 arrests for drug offences in England and Wales, compared with 60,705 in the previous year.

In 2023/24 there were 37,554 drug offences recorded by the police in London, compared with 42,560 in the previous year.

This release presents data on self-reported drink and drug driving, from the Home Office's Crime Survey for England and Wales, in which repsondents are asked whether they have driven under the influence of illegal drugs or whilst over the legal alcohol limit. Usually published as a part of the DfT's Annual Report on Reported Road Casualties if available in time.

Source agency: Transport

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Self-reported drink and drug driving: Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales

Drug misuse, symptoms of common mental disorder and personal well-being in adults who reported being a victim of crime in the last year; data from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW), year ending March 2021.

This statistic shows the number of young people found guilty of drug offences in England and Wales in 2018/19, by age group. For the ages 15-17 there were 1,872 young offenders who were sentenced for such crimes.

Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and Home Office police recorded crime data, by quarterly time periods.

Firearms, knife- and sharp-instrument offences, offences involving a corrosive substance, hospital admissions for assault with sharp objects, fraud, offences flagged as domestic abuse-related, corruption, anti-social behaviour, perceptions, and non-notifiable incidents.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) asks a sole adult in a random sample of households about their, or their household's, experience of crime victimisation in the previous 12 months. These are recorded in the victim form data file (VF). A wide range of questions are then asked, covering demographics and crime-related subjects such as attitudes to the police and the criminal justice system (CJS). These variables are contained within the non-victim form (NVF) data file. In 2009, the survey was extended to children aged 10-15 years old; one resident of that age range was also selected from the household and asked about their experience of crime and other related topics. The first set of children's data covered January-December 2009 and is held separately under SN 6601. From 2009-2010, the children's data cover the same period as the adult data and are included with the main study.The Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) became operational on 20 May 2020. It was a replacement for the face-to-face CSEW, which was suspended on 17 March 2020 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It was set up with the intention of measuring the level of crime during the pandemic. As the pandemic continued throughout the 2020/21 survey year, questions have been raised as to whether the year ending March 2021 TCSEW is comparable with estimates produced in earlier years by the face-to-face CSEW. The ONS Comparability between the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales and the face-to-face Crime Survey for England and Wales report explores those factors that may have a bearing on the comparability of estimates between the TCSEW and the former CSEW. These include survey design, sample design, questionnaire changes and modal changes.More general information about the CSEW may be found on the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales web page and for the previous BCS, from the GOV.UK BCS Methodology web page.History - the British Crime SurveyThe CSEW was formerly known as the British Crime Survey (BCS), and has been in existence since 1981. The 1982 and 1988 BCS waves were also conducted in Scotland (data held separately under SNs 4368 and 4599). Since 1993, separate Scottish Crime and Justice Surveys have been conducted. Up to 2001, the BCS was conducted biennially. From April 2001, the Office for National Statistics took over the survey and it became the CSEW. Interviewing was then carried out continually and reported on in financial year cycles. The crime reference period was altered to accommodate this. Secure Access CSEW dataIn addition to the main survey, a series of questions covering drinking behaviour, drug use, self-offending, gangs and personal security, and intimate personal violence (IPV) (including stalking and sexual victimisation) are asked of adults via a laptop-based self-completion module (questions may vary over the years). Children aged 10-15 years also complete a separate self-completion questionnaire. The questionnaires are included in the main documentation, but the data are only available under Secure Access conditions (see SN 7280), not with the main study. In addition, from 2011 onwards, lower-level geographic variables are also available under Secure Access conditions (see SN 7311).New methodology for capping the number of incidents from 2017-18The CSEW datasets available from 2017-18 onwards are based on a new methodology of capping the number of incidents at the 98th percentile. Incidence variables names have remained consistent with previously supplied data but due to the fact they are based on the new 98th percentile cap, and old datasets are not, comparability has been lost with years prior to 2012-2013. More information can be found in the 2017-18 User Guide (see SN 8464) and the article ‘Improving victimisation estimates derived from the Crime Survey for England and Wales’. No data available for 10-15 year-olds for 2022/23Data for 10-15-year-old respondents is not currently included in the 2022/23 study. The Office for National Statistics is currently assessing these data and deciding whether to include it for this year. The questionnaire for 10-15-year-olds has been included in the documentation and is also available on the ONS Crime and Justice Methodology webpage.

Police recorded crime figures by Police Force Area and Community Safety Partnership areas (which equate in the majority of instances, to local authorities).

Part of Release: Official Sub-Ward, Ward and Borough level crime counts.

Choose from the three data sets (‘Sub-Ward data’, ‘Ward data’ or ‘Borough data’) according to your requirements.

This page contains the ward level data file

Click here for corresponding LSOA level data: Recorded Crime Summary Data for London: LSOA Level

Click here for corresponding Borough level data: Recorded Crime Summary Data for London: Borough Level

Choose from the three data sets (‘Sub-Ward data’, ‘Ward data’ or ‘Borough data’) according to your requirements.

‘Sub-Ward data’ counts the number of crimes in each sub ward area of London (Census Lower Super Output Area or LSOA) per month according to crime type. Use this data if you need to analyse crime data at a sub ward level. Because not all crimes can be matched to a specific LSOA area, you should not use this data set to count crimes by ward or borough. For these purposes use one of the other datasets according to the level of geographic precision you need.

‘Ward data’ counts the number of crimes in each ward area of London per month, according to crime type. Use this data if you need to analyse crime data according to the location of geographic wards. Because not all crimes can be matched to a ward area, you should not use this data set to count crimes by borough. For this purpose use one of the Borough level dataset provided.

‘Borough data’ counts the number of crimes in each borough area of London per month, according to crime type.

Each of the data sets will contain the latest two years of data available. The categories of crime counts within them may change from time to time. Below is a list of the crime types you can currently extract (*only at borough or ward level):

**Minor Category: Major Category **

Murder: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

CommonAssault: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

OffensiveWeapon: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

Harassment: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

Otherviolence: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

AssaultWithInjury: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

WoundingGBH: ViolenceAgainstThePerson

*Rape: SexualOffences

*OtherSexual: SexualOffences

PersonalProperty: Robbery

BusinessProperty: Robbery

BurglaryInADwelling: Burglary

BurglaryInOtherBuildings: Burglary

TheftOrTakingOfMotor: TheftAndHandling

TheftFromMotor: TheftAndHandling

MotorInterferenceAndTampering: TheftAndHandling

TheftFromShops: TheftAndHandling

TheftOrTakingOfPedalCycles: TheftAndHandling

OtherTheftPerson: TheftAndHandling

OtherTheft: TheftAndHandling

HandlingStolenGoods: TheftAndHandling

*CountedPerVictim: FraudOrForgery

*OtherFraudAndForgery: FraudOrForgery

CriminalDamageToADwelling: CriminalDamage

CriminalDamageToOtherBldg: CriminalDamage

CriminalDamageToMotor: CriminalDamage

OtherCriminalDamage: CriminalDamage

DrugTrafficking: Drugs

PossessionOfDrugs: Drugs

OtherDrugOffences: Drugs

GoingEquipped: OtherNotifiableOffences

OtherNotifiable: OtherNotifiableOffences

**Each row of data in the data sets contains: **

*The number of incidents according to the Month Recorded, the specific crime type, and the Location

*The Month Recorded

*The broad crime type (Major HO category – eg Robbery)

*The specific crime type (Minor HO category – eg Robbery: Personal Property)

*The Location (Sub –Ward, Ward or borough depending on the data set selected)

Drug use statistics for adults and young people from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Source agency: Home Office

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Drug misuse declared

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Offending, Crime and Justice Survey (OCJS) (also sometimes known as the Crime and Justice Survey), was the first national longitudinal, self-report offending survey for England and Wales. The series began in 2003, the initial survey representing the first wave in a planned four-year rotating panel study, and ended with the 2006 wave. A longitudinal dataset based on the four years of the study was released in 2009 (held at the Archive under SN 6345).

The OCJS was commissioned by the Home Office, with the overall objective of providing a solid base for measuring the prevalence of offending and drug use in the general population of England and Wales. The survey was developed in response to a significant gap in data on offending in the general population, as opposed to particular groups such as convicted offenders. A specific aim of the series was to monitor trends in offending among young people.

The OCJS series was designed as a 'rotating panel' which means that in each subsequent year, part of the previous year's sample was re-interviewed, and was augmented by a further 'fresh' sample to ensure a cross-sectional representative sample of young people. The aim of this design was to fulfil two objectives: firstly, to provide a solid cross-sectional base from which to monitor year-on-year measures of offending, drug use, and contact with the CJS over the four-year tracking period (2003-2006); and secondly, to provide longitudinal insight into individual behaviour and attitudinal changes over time, and to enable the Home Office to identify temporal links between and within the key survey measures.

The OCJS was managed by a team of researchers in the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. The Home Office commissioned BMRB Social Research and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to conduct the surveys jointly. Both organisations were involved in developing the surveys and, at each wave, the fieldwork was split between the two agencies.

OCJS 2004:
The sample for the 2004 OCJS consisted of panel respondents (those aged 10-25 years who had been interviewed in the 2003 OCJS and had agreed to be re-interviewed in 2004) and new respondents who were interviewed for the first time in 2004.

The OCJS 2004 also aimed to provide:

• measures of self-reported offending
• indicators of repeat offending
• trends in the prevalence of offending
• trends in the prevalence and frequency of drug and alcohol use
• evidence on the links between offending and drug/alcohol use
• evidence on the risk factors related to offending and drug use
• information on the nature of offences committed, such as the role of co-offenders and the relationship between perpetrators and victims

For the fourth edition (December 2008), the variable PFA (police force area) has been supplied for the main file. This variable was previously unavailable. New users should also note that the domestic violence data were removed at an earlier edition due to concerns over consistency.

Main Topics:

The basic OCJS questionnaire comprises modules on the following topics:

• household grid (conducted using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI))
• socio-demographic characteristics (CAPI)
• neighbourhood (CAPI)
• attitudes to the criminal justice system (CAPI)
• contact with criminal justice system (part 1) (CAPI)
• victimisation (CAPI)
• antisocial behaviour (conducted using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI))
• white collar/'hi-tech' crime (ACASI)
• offending - count/follow-up (ACASI)
• offending - nature (conducted using Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (CASI))
• contact with criminal justice system (part 2) (CASI)
• domestic violence (CASI)
• drinking (CASI)
• drug use (CASI)
• health, lifestyle and risk factors (CASI)
• reactions to the survey and recontact (CASI)

In addition to questionnaire data, the dataset also includes derived socio-economic and geo-demographic variables.

The data files included in the OCJS 2004 are as follows:

• 'main 10-25': main individual respondent-level dataset
• 'nature of offending 10-25': contains data on the circumstances surrounding individual offences (cases represent offences, not respondents)

Drug offences by Police Force Area. Data4NR reference.