Research project:
Heroin in the Welsh valleys
Phillipa Hoare and David Clark
It has been claimed in recent years that the South Wales Valleys have
been facing a drug, and particularly heroin, epidemic.
In a pilot study, we explored the perceptions, knowledge and experience
of drugs and drug problems of 73 community members in the Welsh Valleys
and surrounding areas. We looked at how they rated drug problems relative
to other problems in their community. We also examined their confidence
in the services and institutions that deal with the problem of drug misuse.
Some Key Findings
- 55% admitted knowing someone who had tried heroin
- 42% knew someone with a heroin problem and a significantly higher
proportion knew someone with an alcohol problem (71%)
- Two-thirds considered heroin to be a moderate to serious problem in
their community, whilst 82% considered illegal drugs and 85.3% considered
excessive alcohol use to be a problem.
The proportion of subjects perceiving the following factors to be a problem
(moderate or serious) in their community were:
| |
Moderate/Serious Problem |
| Lack of recreational facilities |
85% |
| Unemployment |
85% |
| Selling of drugs |
78% |
| Young people using illegal drugs |
76% |
| Drunken behaviour |
74% |
| Lack of treatment services for drug users |
71% |
| Lack of police action to arrest dealers |
69% |
| Crimes by addicts to pay for drugs |
59% |
| Use of heroin |
53% |
| Use of crack/cocaine |
48% |
| Too many dealers living in the area |
46% |
| Used needles on the street |
27% |
| Homelessness |
14% |
26% of subjects stated that an immediate family member had had an illegal
drug or alcohol problem: of these
- 57% indicated alcohol
- 19% indicated heroin
- 19% indicated speed
- 5% indicated cannabis
We looked at subjects' attitudes towards, and knowledge of, heroin:
| |
Agree/Strongly agree |
| Most people who try heroin become addicted |
79% |
| Alcohol causes more violent behaviour than
heroin |
75% |
| Sending users to prison is likely to increase
their future criminal activity |
72% |
| Most young people know that heroin is dangerous |
71% |
| Heroin causes a person to undertake criminal
activity |
67% |
| Heroin users are often innocent young people |
59% |
| Heroin users should be prosecuted |
53% |
| I sympathise with heroin users |
46% |
| Heroin itself is safe. Heroin supplied
by criminals in a prohibiting society is not |
28% |
| Punishment is deterrence against heroin
use |
23% |
| Heroin use should be made legal |
22% |
| Would be happy to see a 25% increase in
users if there was a 25% reduction in drug related deaths |
22% |
| Heroin users should be sent to prison |
20% |
| Heroin users are bad people |
11% |
Subjects were asked which institutions are effective
in tackling substance misuse:
| |
Moderately/Very effective |
| Drug and Alcohol Action Teams |
74% |
| Local Action Teams |
63% |
| Treatment Agencies |
54% |
| Police |
37% |
| GPs |
31% |
| Education Authorities |
31% |
| Health Authorities |
24% |
| Social Services |
19% |
| Local Council |
7% |
| Welsh Assembly Government |
3% |
|
