[holding answer 14 September 2009]: Under the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP), drug-testing of offenders for specified class A drugs (heroin and cocaine/crack) in police custody takes place in 107 BCUs. Offenders arrested or charged with a “trigger offence”—largely acquisitive crime related offences—are required to provide a sample to be tested. In 2008-09, 34 per cent. of those drug-tested while in police custody tested positively for class A drugs.
All treatment takes place with consent and therefore is entered voluntarily.
DIP identifies drug misusers through a positive drug test, as well as through referral in the community and prison. The number of adults commencing treatment through DIP in 2008-09 was 57,951.
The information requested is not available as it is not possible to separately identify people who have been arrested and charged in respect of offences committed while they were taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.