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64
experience shows that the more one denounces a particular favourite
form of youthful escapism, the greater becomes its attraction.
Fortunately, as the young mature, the majority tend to discard the
follies and indiscretions of youth and, in turn, themselves become
appalled at the waywardness of their own offspring.
It is held by some experienced persons, that a normal individual
requires the stimulation of competition to live a full and satisfying
life. They hold that increasing the provision of welfare and social
services, with their accompanying regulations and conditions,
merely adds to the smothering, strangulating and protective care
from which the young are trying desparately to escape, with a
consequent exacerbation of the problem. To deny that there is
substance in these assertions would be foolish, but it is equally
true to say that they do not provide the full explanation for the
inadequate personalities and those with maturation problems must
add their own particular quotas.
Because reliable information on drug abuse is scanty and the
extent of its spread throughout the country obscure, a recent
survey in an Outer London Borough on this particular problem
is welcomed.
In this survey, it was found, inter alia, that the prevalence of
regular drug users was at the rate of 1.68 per one thousand of the
population. The age range was from 16-21 years, about one half of
whom were in their eighteenth year, and, with only one exception,
they had all attended Secondary Modern Schools and most parents
were aware of their children's drug taking. Adjusting the rate to
agree with the population group 15-20 years, increased it to 22.8,
and even more specifically from 7.8 per one thousand at the age of
16 to 48.8 at 18 years. Of the total, 34 per cent. were heroin addicts,
the majority of whom became registered after an average interval
of one to two years. Delinquency rate of the addicts was
significantly higher than that of the controls. Although the
investigation covered only regular drug users, it was estimated that
a further 4% to 5% of the 15-20 years population were casual users.
What is most disquieting is the fact that the survey covered
what is considered to be a reasonably typical urban area.
At the end of 1969, in-patients in the London area receiving
hospital treatment were averaging 70, 40 males and 30 females,
whilst those receiving out-patient attention approximated to 900,
750 males and 150 females.
At the end of the current year, one Greenwich resident was
receiving hospital treatment for heroin addiction.
Containing the spread of drug abuse will be difficult but it should
begin by making the illicit acquisition of dangerous drugs much