ABSTRACT
Inmanywaysdrugabuseisnotoneofthemajorcontemporary socialproblems.Thesocialconsequencesofillegaldruguseare smallwhensetalongsidetheconsequencesoftheuseoflegally obtaineddrugs,especiallyalcoholandtobacco.Thevisibleaspect ofillegaldrugabuseinBritainamountstoperhapsfiftytosixty deathsayear,1500hospitaladmissions,2800peopleknowntobe receivingnarcoticsonprescriptionbecauseoftheiraddictionand about14,000drug-relatedconvictions.Thislatterfigure,which swampstheothers,perhapsismoreproperlyregardedasameasureof thesocialreactiontodrugusersratherthanadirectconsequenceof abuse.Theseconvictionsarelargelyforsellingorpossessingillegal substancesandnotforbehavingantisociallywhileundertheir influence.Table5.1givescomparativefiguresfortheknownsocial consequencesofalcohol,tobaccoandillegaldruguse.Thesefigures donotreflecttheotherlessobvious,butnolessreal,socialcostsof alcoholandtobaccousesuchasthecostofnon-inpatientmedical care,dayslostfromwork,alcohol-relatedcrimes,androadtraffic deaths.
