The best measure of drug misuse in prisons is provided by the random mandatory drug testing programme. The positive rates for the above named drugs in 2006-07 can be found in the following table:
Number of positives Percentage positive Cannabis 2,562 4.3 Ecstasy 30 0.04 Opiates 2,411 4.0 Cocaine 96 0.2 Note: Number of confirmed positives—ecstasy is classified as an amphetamine type drug it is not until a confirmation test is conducted that the presence of ecstasy can be determined.
Information on the number of offences for possessing a controlled drug is given in the following table.
Possession of an unauthorised article 2001 1,837 2002 1,134 2003 1,271 2004 1,315 2005 1,343