Cocaine Use In The Capital Double The Rest Of The Country

12.00.00am GMT Thu 4th Dec 2003

Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes MP

New figures released by the Home Office that show cocaine use in the capital is twice the national average, with more than 300,000 (4.2%) Londoners using the drug in the last year.

Commenting Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes, said: "Cocaine use damages Londoners' health and lines the pockets of serious criminals."

"Recent falls in the street price of cocaine show that the market is being flooded and that the police are struggling to stem the tide."

ENDS

Notes to editors

The Home Office published the report Geographical Variations in Drug Use today. The statistics can be found on page 6; Table 2.1. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb1503.pdf

Richard Stokoe.

Senior Liberal Democrat Press Officer for Simon Hughes MP Mayoral Campaign

tel. 020 7227 1326, mobile 0772 08 38 351, fax 020 7227 1313 or pager 07659 114613.