52% Decrease In Charges For Drug Dealing To Bournemouth’s Youth
Drug dealing charges plummet in just two years, despite growing concern over 'county lines' issues.
52% fewer people were charged with dealing drugs to Bournemouth’s young people in 2018 than two years prior.
75 people were charged for dealing drugs to under-25s in 2016 in Bournemouth, 9 of which dealt to individuals 17 and under. However, in 2018 this figure had fallen by 52% to just 36 charges. 7 of these was for drug dealing to those 17 and under.
A seaside awash with drug misuse
36 is the lowest this figure has stood in five years; in 2015 there were 49 charges, while in 2014 there were 41 charges.
This is in spite of the fact that Bournemouth was one of five seaside locations to feature in the top 10 areas of heroin and morphine misuse deaths in a 2018 report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Martyn Underhill, Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner, stated, “County lines is a growing problem, not just in Dorset but across the country. It is something police can’t tackle alone.”
Bournemouth Borough Council declined to comment on these findings.
Why did students choose to cover this story?
Julia, 17, Bournemouth, said “This is an important topic because drug issues are personal to me, as I have friends who partake in drug taking. I disagree with the usage of recreational drugs, but knowing that people around me have different opinions, I wanted to know more about the issue.”