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Drugs

Another Week, Another Bunch of Record-Breaking UK Drug Statistics

Drug deaths are at an all-time high in Yorkshire, and drug seizures are through the roof in Northern Ireland.

A policeman observing some foliage. (Photo: West Midlands Police, via Flickr)

This year, it seems like there are new record-breaking drugs stats out every week – more kids are selling weed than ever before; more British prisoners are using legal highs than ever before, etc, etc, ad infinitum. And this week is no different.

It would seem the people of Yorkshire and Humber are having a bit of a bad year, as deaths from narcotics in the area have reached an all-time high. In 2015, there were 297 drug deaths reported by coroners, which is up a whopping 52 percent from 2014. That's 4.3 deaths per 100,000, as opposed to the previous figure of 2.3 recorded in 1995.

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It's not all doom and gloom, though. For some, this is a blessing. Grimsby Telegraph commenter Akashwani201, for instance, says:

Further north and a bit to the west lies Northern Ireland, which, not to be outdone by the English, has seen its drugs seizures reach a ten-year high. 5,597 seizures and 2,953 arrests were made between April of last year and March of this year, 4,445 of which were cannabis seizures. That means only 1,152 of the seizures were other drugs, like benzodiazepines, which are a big problem in Northern Ireland, according to DCS Andrea McMullan, who is in charge of tackling drug crime.

"These drugs are either being sold illegally by users receiving them on prescription or being sold over the internet, or they may be counterfeit medication," she said. "The Programme for Government is, in part, about improving health and wellbeing. If we are not tackling issues such as cannabis, which have a harmful effect on health and mental health, we are building a dangerous legacy around community health and welfare."

I think we can all agree that with both drug seizures at an all time high in Northern Ireland, and drug deaths at an all time high in Yorkshire and Humber, whatever it is the police and government are doing to put people off doing drugs – and to keep them safe if they do those drugs – is clearly working, and they should just carry on doing whatever they're doing until the end of time.

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