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Children as young as 11 are taking crack cocaine in London.
At least 260 claimed they had tried the highly addictive Class A drug last year and 87 had used heroin.
A further 260 11-year-olds said they had tried psychedelic drugs including LSD, magic mushrooms and the horse tranquilliser ketamine.
The shock figures came as Labour mayoral candidate Oona King said the problem was even worse with children as young as eight at schools like her son's in Tower Hamlets using crack cocaine.
Ms King said the national statistics - from which the Standard has extrapolated London figures - revealed “London's frightening hidden realities — there are children exposed to hard drugs around the capital”.
A report, smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2009, found that a worrying percentage of 11-year-olds nationally have tried Class A drugs.
This equates to a total of 693 in London, according to population estimates.
Altogether almost 4,000 had used some form of drug within the last year, although the vast majority of these — around 72 per cent — were glues, gas, aerosols or solvents.
Simon Antrobus, chief executive of Addaction, one of the UK's largest drug and alcohol treatment charities, said: “Although we haven't seen children this young using crack cocaine, Oona King's comments touch on a very important issue.
“In our London services, we have certainly seen very young children, as young as eleven, who are exposed to serious drugs, such as powder cocaine. More often than not, these children are growing up in homes where their parents have a severe drug or alcohol problem.
"Statistics show that such children are much more likely to develop a drug or alcohol problem themselves.”
Ms King, who has put tackling child poverty at the heart of her campaign, said: “As a parent and a Londoner I'm worried by the behaviour I see on the streets and the stories I hear from parents in the area where I live. Now London needs politicians who are willing to take action.”
Tower Hamlets council acknowledged there was a problem with drug abuse among children but denied Ms King's claim that children as young as eight were using crack cocaine.
The overall picture painted by the report was more upbeat. Overall, the percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who have taken drugs has fallen, down to 22 per cent last year from 29 per cent in 2001.
Martin Barnes, chief executive of drug information charity DrugScope, added: “Overall drug use among children has been falling but we must never be complacent about the risks and harms some children are exposed to.”
Reader views (13)
i think the only thing this survey proves is that a fair proportion of 11 year old children lie when completing stupid surveys?
- andy, london, 04/08/2010 08:46
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Even if this report isn't 100% accurate (see post from "Mark, Vauxhall", below), what exactly has the enormously expensive so-called "war on drugs" achieved in the past 30~40 years? Damn-all as far as I can see.
So admit defeat and stop wasting my tax money!
- Croyboy, Croydon, UK, 03/08/2010 17:43
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What gets me about people that take drugs, particularly celebrates who find themselves hailed as heroes, is they never seem to realize someone along the line of supply, has more than likely died to supply their habit.
- ALAN., ENGLAND, 03/08/2010 17:33
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I absolutely guarantee that the majority of people who work in advertising are Under the Influence of a certain rocky like substance. Perhaps we need an outreach service to those influential people who promote this drug before seeking to redress its public persona on the streets?
Lets face it, no drug in the history of time has had such good PR as cocaine. You simply couldn't pay for that type of positive global media coverage. Start at the top and work the way down I say.
- Real, Camden, 03/08/2010 17:11
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In my *ahem* vast experience, drugs are rife across the class divide. It's just that poor people get lower quality gear and have less ability to cover up their behaviour - ie hire a nanny / chauffeur / cleaner etc - or go in private treatment for 'exhuastion'.
In this regard, the kids of the weathy drug users are equally at risk as the kids of the poor. The wealthy kids have access and money for hard drugs and the poor kids get drawn into the low end of drug dealing syndicates.
However, I fail to see how many very young children could sustain a crack habit without quickly coming to the attention of the authorities. It's not exactly an insidious drug so much as totally in yer face out there waving a flag and letting everyone know. And exceptionally expensive.
- Real, Camden, 03/08/2010 16:55
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So the survey asked kids "have you tried...?"
When I was in school and we got government surveys like this, we just ticked every box on the list for the hell of it.
I'm really not sure that this data is reliable at all.
- Mark, Vauxhall, 03/08/2010 16:38
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I thought cocaine was for taking your teeth out,I've had several removed like that,and all I had was a headache.
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey, 03/08/2010 15:43
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Hansel - Mick is referring to London. Cocaine use is rampant amongst the city bank boys. I know cos I chair CA and AA meeting in the City and Est End.
- Jane, London, 03/08/2010 14:08
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Mick - Which 'city' are you referring to?
- Hansel, London,
The City of London, Hansel.
Just a few years ago all the normal every day banks in the City of London checked all the £20 notes they had in their vaults, I think it was about 90% of all £20 notes that had traces of Cocaine on them, and as you know most snorters use rolled up £20 notes to snort their cocaine etc.
Plus of course the media has exposed on many occasions, many others in the Financial sector and the stock exchange that were high on cocaine whilst working, and playing about at night in parties and wine-bars etc.
You may not like these news items, or even believe them; but they are true just the same.
Even two weeks ago; the City Police raided a private club where customers bought and snorted their cocaine on site etc.
You will find that where there is the high life, high pay, and a gung-ho attitude; there is also a feeling of invincibility, and over indulgence is the name of the game in all things etc, including drug fuelled sex games.
Ok not very British, but very City of London.
- mickinlondon, london, 03/08/2010 14:04
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Society's fault?
Nobody put the crack into the pipe... nobody made you smoke off your life... you thought you could do dope and stay cool... fool!
You played yourself... ain't nobody elses fault you played... yourself.
- Liberal, West London, 03/08/2010 13:55
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Mick - Which 'city' are you referring to?
- Hansel, London, 03/08/2010 13:30
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It's nothing to with poverty (where do you get the money for the drugs?) it's the stupidity of the parents. (parent singular more likely) You need a licence for a dog, but any idiot can have a kid at the expense of the rest of us.
- jon, london, 03/08/2010 13:00
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Most of the city workers also use cocaine, but up their noses instead.
If the elite use cocaine; kids will copy them.
- mickinlondon, london, 03/08/2010 12:53
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