LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - One in every hundred Londoners is hooked on crack-cocaine, fear medical experts.
The astonishing figure amounts to 46,000 possible users aged between 15 and 44 in the capital - with many also taking heroin, according to a Government-funded study.
Co-author Dr Matthew Hickman, of Imperial College London, said: "Although crack cocaine use has been a cause for concern in many countries since the 1980s there has not been the predicted epidemic across the UK until now.
"We must be cautious, but the analysis suggests there is a substantial problem. With almost 60 percent of crack-cocaine users also opiate users part of the increase in use is driven by heroin users which has implications for treatment and prevention."
The researchers looked at data for 12 London boroughs from a number of sources including numbers in specialist drug treatment, arrested users, accident and emergency and community surveys and the numbers of injecting drug users.
They identified 4,117 crack users and, using statistical modelling, estimated there were a further 16,855 users who were not observed on one of the data sources - taking the total number to 21,000 for the 12 boroughs.
The researchers whose findings are published online in the Society for the Study of Addiction then multiplied the numbers from the 12 boroughs to take into account the whole of London.
They estimated 46,000 users aged between 15 and 44 - accounting for 1.3 percent of the population.
The study also suggested crack-cocaine use was more than three times higher in men at 2.4 per cent compared with 0.7 per cent in women.
Co-author Dr Vivian Hope, of Imperial College London, said: "Although these results are only estimated figures they do indicate the crack cocaine problem in London may be much larger than we initially thought with our estimates almost four times higher than population surveys suggest.
"As crack cocaine use has been associated with increased risk behaviours, particularly among those who inject drugs, the high levels of use found are a concern."
The astonishing figure amounts to 46,000 possible users aged between 15 and 44 in the capital - with many also taking heroin, according to a Government-funded study.
Co-author Dr Matthew Hickman, of Imperial College London, said: "Although crack cocaine use has been a cause for concern in many countries since the 1980s there has not been the predicted epidemic across the UK until now.
"We must be cautious, but the analysis suggests there is a substantial problem. With almost 60 percent of crack-cocaine users also opiate users part of the increase in use is driven by heroin users which has implications for treatment and prevention."
The researchers looked at data for 12 London boroughs from a number of sources including numbers in specialist drug treatment, arrested users, accident and emergency and community surveys and the numbers of injecting drug users.
They identified 4,117 crack users and, using statistical modelling, estimated there were a further 16,855 users who were not observed on one of the data sources - taking the total number to 21,000 for the 12 boroughs.
The researchers whose findings are published online in the Society for the Study of Addiction then multiplied the numbers from the 12 boroughs to take into account the whole of London.
They estimated 46,000 users aged between 15 and 44 - accounting for 1.3 percent of the population.
The study also suggested crack-cocaine use was more than three times higher in men at 2.4 per cent compared with 0.7 per cent in women.
Co-author Dr Vivian Hope, of Imperial College London, said: "Although these results are only estimated figures they do indicate the crack cocaine problem in London may be much larger than we initially thought with our estimates almost four times higher than population surveys suggest.
"As crack cocaine use has been associated with increased risk behaviours, particularly among those who inject drugs, the high levels of use found are a concern."
