Illegal drug use at its lowest level

Illegal drug use remained at around its lowest level over the past year, figures showed yesterday.

About three million adults – 8.9 per cent of those aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales – used illicit drugs in 2011-12, the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed.

"This remains around the lowest level since measurement began in 1996," the report said.

Cannabis was still the most popular drug, with 2.3 million people, or 6.9 per cent of adults, using it, followed by powder cocaine, which was used by 700,000 people (2.2 per cent), and ecstasy, which was used by 500,000 people (1.4 per cent).