Drug abuse is a major concern and priority for Londoners and ranks high on their political agenda. In 2003, there were more than 20,000 busts for illegal drugs by the Metropolitan and City of London Police. A total of 15,000 ambulance calls were made in London for drug related overdose in 2003 also. Findings also show that in 2002-2003 over 1,000 Londoners were admitted to hospitals for drug abuse and over 5,000 for drug poisoning. This includes poisoning from legal medicines as well.

Studies done in 2007 show that in the United Kingdom Scotland and England for the most part had the highest rate of illegal drug misuse recorded in the western world. The drugs that were a particular problem of abuse were crack and cocaine. In the UK, most of the adult substance abusers that were in drug treatment centers admitted that Opiate's, especially heroin was their drug of choice at that time. Small groups of individuals on a much smaller scale abused stimulants or cannabis (marijuana) and many adult users admitted to abusing illegal drugs and alcohol as well.

The United Kingdom places great importance on their children when it comes to drug abuse and the powerful impact it can have on them. Drug abuse places an unbelievable strain on the families of those who abuse drugs which includes the children whose parents are dealing with drug addiction.

In 2003, the ADMD which is the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs reported that there were roughly 250,000 to 350,000 children of drug abusers in the United Kingdom. The report the ADMD did showed that no matter the age of a child, if their parents abuse drugs or are dealing with drug addictions, the child (children) suffers from the serious harmful effects. Therefore, reducing harm to children who are associated with parental drug abuse was to be their main priority. This report also showed that effective drug treatment for the parent or parents was extremely beneficial for the child. It is important that everyone work together to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the children that are affected by drug abuse.

Drug related crime is extremely costly to the community and the economy. There is evidence that drug treatment for substance and drug abuse and addiction decreases these costs dramatically when it comes to drug related crime. Expanding drug treatment is a major priority included in their 1998-2008 UK Drug Strategy.

Overdose

Drug related deaths due to overdose in the United Kingdom are among the highest in Europe. In 2004, seven percent of all deaths were associated with drugs for individuals between 15 and 39 years of age. In 2005, 1,500 deaths that were drug related were recorded in England alone. Most of these deaths were related to injecting heroin abuse. The heroin abuse was combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines or other depressants.

Methadone related deaths have decreased greatly, partially due to the supervised consumption of methadone prescriptions for drug treatment in the early stages.

Alcohol is enjoyed in London as anywhere else in the world. Londoners of all ages consume less alcohol and less often than people across England as a whole but London has a higher portion of alcohol dependent individuals than the national average. The levels are also lower than the national average with young people and alcohol consumption in London too.

About one percent of those living in London have problems with drug abuse. Cocaine use has increased nationally and in London since 1998. Reports suggest that London has the highest level of cocaine abuse than any region in in England and Wales.

Cannabis (marijuana) is the most common drug abused in all areas and regions of England and Wales. The 2007 report also shows that cannabis abusers are using a form of cannabis called ‘skunk', it contains three to four times the level of Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC in herbal cannabis and cannabis resin. In the mid-1990s about 10 percent of the cannabis (marijuana) in the United Kingdom was skunk. According to the same 2007 report, 60 percent of the cannabis found in the UK was skunk and most of it was grown in the United Kingdom not imported.

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