Usual
Drug Purchasing behaviour
Quantity
of drugs normally purchased and amount normally spent
per purchase
Note:
The intervals specified within histograms below do not
contain the entire range of the data.
Cannabis
is rarely purchased in amounts of less than one eighth
(3.5g), less than 1% of respondents reported spending
£5 or less per occasion, and around 5% purchased quantities
in the range of £5-£10 (e.g. Øsixteenths"), similar
proportions would buy half-ounce and ounce quantities
and a small minority purchased larger amounts. The modal
purchase was 1/8oz for £15 or less, followed by quarter
ounces at £25 to £30.
LSD is commonly
purchased in individual doses or up to 10-20 doses at
a time. Few purchases involved spending in excess of
£40 per occasion.
Overwhelmingly
the most common response to the question on mushrooms
was zero (free), reflecting either gift, or more commonly
the fact that they can be picked freely when in season.
£10
was the most common deal on amphetamine, reflecting
the occasional or casual use of the drug by most respondents
answering the question, and the scarcity of regular
and daily users within the samples to date. A small
but potentially significant minority of users purchase
in ounce quantities.
Ecstasy
is most commonly purchased in units of one to five tablets,
with a small minority of individuals buying ten or more
tablets at a time.
Overwhelmingly
the most common quantities of cocaine purchased were
grams at £50 or £70, reflecting the more affluent lifestyle
commonly associated with users of powdered cocaine.
A small proportion bought in fractions of a gram or
multiple grams.
The
most common Øcrack" purchase quantity was single
rocks, followed by individual grams. There were two
few responses to the Øcrack" purchase price question
to form any meaningful conclusions, with only single
reports of prices from £5 to £100, consistent with the
wide variation in Ørock" sizes apparent from forensic
reports.
>Heroin
was again most commonly purchased in £10 or £20 bags,
although a larger number of respondents bought in grams
than with crack cocaine. The maximum personal heroin
purchase was £350, representing between 1/4oz of the
drug.
Note:
Data in this section includes a number of early 1998
survey responses not included elsewhere.
