New opiate and crack-cocaine users: characteristics and trends 7 
 
DIP tests have four main outcomes: positive for opiates (which mainly indicates heroin use); 
positive for cocaine use (which may indicate powder- or crack-cocaine use); positive for both; or 
negative. Data are available from 2004 to 2013 as shown in Table 1, though the 2013 data 
cover the period up to November 2013 only, so in this and subsequent tables we include an 
additional column ‘2013 adjusted’, which simply multiplies up the existing 2013 figures by 1.09 
(12 divided by 11) to account for the missing month’s data.7 
Table 1: Results of all DIP tests, 2004–2013. 
 
For context, Table 1 also includes data on total acquisitive crime arrests.8 Comparing the trends 
 
7 Note that individuals aged 65 and over or who had a year of birth before 1959 were excluded.  
8 The total acquisitive crime arrests were calculated from the data to be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tables-
 
  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 
adjusted Total Adjusted 
Total 
Negative 30,858 43,218 112,604 128,867 143,047 155,327 155,541 149,449 114,149 68,274 74,481 1,101,334 1,107,541 
Cocaine 8,231 9,963 20,986 32,021 34,413 21,753 24,412 31,486 26,642 16,558 18,063 226,465 227,970 
Opiates 9,159 12,071 20,070 17,314 17,279 25,082 21,499 14,824 11,981 8,736 9,530 158,015 158,809 
Both 
(Cocaine & 
Opiates) 
11,943 17,234 29,972 35,235 32,082 19,517 20,033 16,387 13,525 10,594 11,557 206,522 207,485 
Total 
(opiates + 
both) 
21,102 29,305 50,042 52,549 49,361 44,599 41,532 31,211 25,506 19,330 21,087 364,537 366,294 
Total (All) 60,191 82,486 183,632 213,437 226,821 221,679 221,485 212,146 166,297 104,162 113,631 1,692,336 1,701,805 
Opiates/both 
as a 
percentage 
of total tests 
35% 36% 27% 25% 22% 20% 19% 15% 15% 19% 19% 22% 22% 
Total arrests 
for 
acquisitive 
crime 
535,900 497,700 498,200 485,454 458,627 458,544 420,016 416,672 388,897 336,669 336,669 4,496,679 4,496,679 
Difference 
between 
total arrests 
and number 
of DIP tests 
475,709 415,214 314,568 272,017 231,806 236,865 198,531 204,526 222,600 232,507 223,038 2,804,343 2,794,874 
DIP tests as 
a percentage 
of total 
acquisitive 
crime 
arrests 
11% 17% 37% 44% 49% 48% 53% 51% 43% 31% 34% n/a n/a