The Official DOOM: Middle-classes

[vetran]

Well as us rich ancient, house owners are much less likely to take drugs it is against the facts. But Boomer bashing is popular politics!

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulat...ndingmarch2020

The year ending March 2020 CSEW also showed that:

• private renters (14.9%) were more likely to use any drug than social renters (10.3%) and homeowners (6.3%)
• use of any drug was higher among those living in urban areas (9.6%) compared with those living in rural areas (8%)
• those living in areas classified as “Cosmopolitans” were more likely to have used any drug in the last year (20.7%) compared with other area types, such as “Multicultural metropolitans” (7.3%) or “Suburbanites” (7.6%)

Powder cocaine (not crack which is where a lot of the gang stuff is) does seem to be higher earnings not necessarily class. Is a lorry driver or plumber inherently middle class?

There was a similar pattern for cannabis use. Those with a total household income less than £10,400 (13.2%) were more likely to have taken cannabis than people in higher income households. However, there were higher proportions of powder cocaine use in the last year for adults living in households with incomes over £52,000 (3.4%) compared with adults in lower income households (£10,400 to £20,800 (1.9%), £20,800 to £31,200 (2.2%) and £31,200 to 41,600 (1.9%).

Age is a better candidate:

• An estimated 1 in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 years had taken a drug in the last year (9.4%; approximately 3.2 million people); this is the same as the year ending March 2019 but an increase from 8.6% in the year ending March 2010.
• Around one in five adults aged 16 to 24 years had taken a drug in the last year (21%; approximately 1.3 million people); this was similar to the previous year (20.3%).
• An estimated 1% of 60- to 74-year-olds had taken a drug in the last year; therefore, the prevalence of last-year drug use in those aged 16 to 74 years (7.6%) was lower than for those aged 16 to 59 years (9.4%).
• 3.4% of adults aged 16 to 59 years had taken a Class A drug in the last year (approximately 1.1 million people); this was similar to the previous year (3.7%).
• 7.4% of adults aged 16 to 24 years had taken a Class A drug in the last year (approximately 467,000 people); this was not significantly different from the previous year (8.7%).
• 2.1% of adults aged 16 to 59 years and 4.3% of adults aged 16 to 24 years were classed as “frequent” drug users (had taken a drug more than once a month in the last year); these are similar to the previous year’s estimates.

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov....harm-2018/file

Heroin and crack cocaine remain the most commonly supplied through county lines.

69% of drugs via county lines are Crack & Heroin. Cocaine doesn't get a mention in the supply graph.

People shooting up or smoking crack aren't likely to be middle class for long.

The best thing the Police could do is identify those with undisclosed income or ex kids homes and use proceeds of crime legislation or modern slavery laws. Prevent them buying fast cars or abusing kids to sell drugs etc. This is just a smoke screen.

[d000hg]

Prohibition does not work

In the sense that it doesn't totally stop usage, or in the sense it doesn't reduce usage? If you look at the number of gun crimes across the world, I'm sure you'd see a correlation with legality of guns?

[OwlHoot]

Those who grow their own weed are ok though?

I grow my own weeds. If only one could smoke dried dandelions!

[AtW]

So I can't sell a lot of it to my granny to help her rheumatism?

FTFY

HTH

MarillionFan

[AtW]

Only if it is for personal use.

So now it's not ok to put out of work those drug dealers who are complicit in the misery of the global drugs trade causes (ie they import stuff)?

Buy British!

[ladymuck]

Only if it is for personal use.

So I can't give any to my granny to help her rheumatism?

[TheDude]

Those who grow their own weed are ok though?

Only if it is for personal use.

[AtW]

if you take illegal drugs then you are complicit in the misery the global drugs trade causes.

Those who grow their own weed are ok though?

[TheDude]

Prohibition does not work but that does not change the fact that if you take illegal drugs then you are complicit in the misery the global drugs trade causes.

A fact that many Guardian readers would prefer to ignore whilst pointing the finger at failed government policies.

[WTFH]

It only impacts the Middle class, so who cares?

[AtW]

"Middle-class drug users could lose UK passports under Boris Johnson’s plans

Campaigners say government going backwards by targeting ‘lifestyle’ users of class A drugs with tough criminal sanctions

Middle-class drug users are to be targeted as part of a 10-year strategy to be announced by Boris Johnson’s government with a heavy focus on war-on-drugs-era punishment.

So-called “lifestyle” users of class A drugs face losing their passports or driving licences under proposals designed to target wealthy professionals who the government will argue are driving exploitative practices with their demand.

Police officers will be handed powers to go through drug dealers’ phones and contact their clients with warnings about drug use in a bid to spook them into changing their behaviour."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...johnsons-plans