Unbelievable? The UK’s Drugs Present

Abstract

The UK has an exceptionally drug involved population. This chapter demonstrates this by comparing drug use, especially ‘recreational’ use involving young people, with North American and European prevalence rates. During the 1990s Britain saw widespread problematic heroin use develop in many of its poor communities for the first time. Out of this its drugs interventions industry began to develop especially around treatment regimes and harm reduction programmes. These early developments are summarised.