Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2007 - Drug Misuse Information ...

Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey
A1 Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey 2006
The Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS) is the national survey that gathers information
about public perceptions and experiences as victims of crime. Since 1993 the surveys have
included a short self-completion component. In 2006 the method of self-completion changed
from Paper and Pen to Computer Assisted Self Interviewing (CASI). Introduction of this method in
other surveys has been associated with more accurate recording of drug use, however, as a result
it is not possible to make any meaningful comparisons between the prevalence figures for drug
use in 2006 and findings from previous surveys.
The results separating drug use by age should be interpreted with caution, due to possible bias
within the sample and the lower number than usual of achieved interviews with individuals aged
between 20 and 24 years old.
Prevalence
Key Points 2006
Overview
■ Over a third (37%) of respondents reported having taken illicit drugs at least once during their lives.
Thirteen percent reported using illicit drugs in the last year (Tables A1.1 and A1.2).
■ More male respondents reported ever having used drugs (43%) than female respondents (31%). (Table
A1.1).
■ More than a third of respondents in each of the age groups under 40 years old had ever used drugs: over
half of those respondents aged 20 to 24, 25 to 29 and 30 to 34 years old (58%, 57% and 55%
respectively); 46% of those aged 16 to 19 years old and 39% of 35 to 39 year olds. A fifth of 40 to 59
year olds had used drugs (Table A1.1).
■ A third of male respondents in each age group under 29 years old had used drugs in the last year. This
fell to 21% of 30 to 34 year olds, 17% of 35 to 39 year olds and 4% of 40 to 59 year olds. The number
of females reporting using drugs in the last year also declined with age (36% of 16 to 19 year olds, 24%
of 20 to 24 year olds, 12% of 25 to 29 year olds and 5% of 30 to 34 year olds) (Table A1.2).
Drugs recorded
■ Cannabis was the drug most frequently reported as used in the year prior to the survey and used ever
(11% and 33% respectively). Cocaine was reported to have been used in the last year by 4% of
respondents and ever used by 9%. Ecstasy was used in the last year by 3% and ever used by 10% of
respondents. Amphetamines and poppers had each been used in the last year by 2% of respondents and
ever used by 14% and 10% of respondents respectively (Tables A1.1 and A1.2).
■ The highest use of cannabis ‘ever’ was reported amongst 20 to 24 year age olds (54%) and 25 to 29 year
olds (53%). The same was observed for cocaine (17% of 20 to 24 year olds and 18% of 25 to 29 year
olds). Ecstasy use ever was reported most often among 25 to 29 year olds (25%) and 30 to 34 year olds
(22%) (Table A1.1).
■ Cannabis was the drug reported as having been most frequently offered in the last year. Twenty percent
of males and 12% of females reported having been offered cannabis in the last year (Table A1.3).
Background Information
The 2006 Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS) was the eighth survey of its kind to be carried out in
Scotland since the early 1980s. The first two sweeps in 1982 and 1988 were conducted as part of the British
Crime Survey and only covered Central and Southern Scotland. A separate Scottish Crime Survey was
introduced in 1993 that covered the whole of mainland Scotland, including the larger islands. This was
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2007
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