Drug use touches every corner of society. Yet for too long, conversations about it have treated communities as if they were all the same. A review published in May 2026 by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) examines what we actually know about drug use in ethnic minority groups in the UK. It also highlights what we are still missing.

The picture is complex, often incomplete, and in some areas, deeply concerning.

The Data Problem We Cannot Ignore

Before drawing conclusions about drug use in ethnic minority communities, it helps to understand how difficult reliable data is to gather.

National surveys such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) have not consistently oversampled ethnic minority populations. For smaller groups, sample sizes can be too small to draw meaningful conclusions. Ethnicity data in national datasets are often incomplete or inconsistently categorised. Self-reported surveys may also see under-reporting due to stigma or mistrust of institutions.

The gaps in the data are not random. They reflect structural issues that have long made it harder to understand the needs of minority communities.

That said, the available evidence does tell us something.

What Surveys Reveal About Drug Use in Ethnic Minority Groups

According to the 2025 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, past-year use of any drug was highest among White respondents at 26%. Mixed and multiple ethnic groups followed at 22%, then Black or Black British respondents at 12%, and Asian or Asian British respondents at just 2%.

Drug dependence figures told a similar story. Adults in the Mixed or multiple ethnic category recorded the highest rate at 22%. Black or Black British adults recorded 6.4% and Asian or Asian British adults 1.7%, compared with 15% among White respondents.

The 2023/24 CSEW found that 8.8% of all respondents aged 16 to 59 reported using an illicit drug in the past year. Those from mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds reported the highest rate at 12%, followed by White respondents at 10%. Rates were notably lower among Black respondents (5.5%), Asian respondents (3.0%), and Other ethnic groups (7.4%).

Cannabis was the most commonly used substance across all groups. Use was highest among mixed and White respondents and considerably lower among Asian and Black respondents.

These figures need careful interpretation. Under-reporting is likely, particularly where drug use carries strong cultural stigma. Lower reported rates do not necessarily reflect lower actual rates of use.

Drug Convictions Tell a Different Story

The criminal justice picture looks very different.

In 2020/21, drug offences made up 40% of convictions for Black offenders and 39% for Asian offenders. For White offenders, the figure was 19%. More than a third of drug-related convictions for Black and Asian individuals led to immediate custodial sentences. Their average sentence lengths were substantially longer than those of White defendants.

The ACMD review is clear on one point: higher conviction rates among some ethnic minority groups likely reflect systemic policing and sentencing disparities. They do not necessarily indicate higher levels of drug use. In London, 56% of all stop and searches between 2022 and 2023 involved individuals from ethnic minority groups. This context matters when reading conviction data.

These figures have real consequences. They shape how communities relate to public services and whether people feel safe asking for help.

Stigma Facing Ethnic Minority Communities

Stigma is one of the most consistent themes in the ACMD review. It operates differently across communities, and its effects run deep.

Stigma around drug use arrives from multiple directions. Family, religious communities, wider society, and internalised shame can all play a role. For people from ethnic minority backgrounds, cultural expectations and past experiences of racism within institutions compound these pressures further.

Intersectionality helps explain this. Ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and religion interact to shape a person’s experience. A young South Asian woman faces a very different set of pressures from a middle-aged White man, even with similar drug use patterns.

Research on South Asian women points to the role of izzat, the concept of family honour, in pushing substance use underground. It also makes it harder for women to seek support. A lack of shared cultural identity within services acts as a further barrier.

Barriers Ethnic Minority Groups Face in Getting Support

Access to treatment services is a significant challenge for ethnic minority communities.

The review found that information about drug treatment services reaches minority ethnic communities less effectively. First-generation immigrants may not know how to navigate healthcare services at all. Language barriers can lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate recommendations.

Trust is another obstacle. Some individuals avoid NHS services because of past experiences of racism or discrimination. Others worry that services will not keep their situation confidential. In close-knit communities, this fear of exposure carries real social weight.

Traveller communities face their own distinct barriers. Low health literacy and limited awareness of available support keep many from seeking help. Research has also found that Traveller women exhibit high levels of problematic substance use. Yet they remain largely invisible in treatment data, which challenges the assumption that this is primarily a male issue.

What Good Practice Looks Like for Ethnic Minority Drug Services

The review does not only document problems. It also highlights what works.

A service in Tower Hamlets, where 40% of the borough’s population comes from an ethnic minority background, recruited a Somali-speaking worker in October 2023. The number of Somali community members accessing and staying in treatment rose markedly afterwards. The service translated its website and printed materials into Bangla and Somali. It refreshed its multi-faith prayer room and displayed welcome messaging in three languages. Practical steps produced real results.

In Peterborough, a drug and alcohol service recognised the under-representation of South Asian communities. It recruited a Community Connector in May 2023. That person built relationships with local mosques, community organisations, and health services. They took treatment directly into community settings rather than waiting for people to walk through a clinic door. Drop-in sessions ran at trusted venues including an Islamic Centre and a grassroots Muslim social enterprise.

Both cases point to the same conclusion. Services embedded in communities, staffed by people who understand them, and designed with cultural sensitivity reach more of the people who need them.

Drug Use in Ethnic Minority Groups: What Needs to Change

The ACMD review sets out four clear recommendations.

First, it calls for consistent, detailed ethnicity data across all national surveys and treatment datasets. Ethnicity should become a mandatory field at service entry points.

Second, it recommends funded research into differences in harms, treatment engagement, and outcomes across ethnic groups. This should include the needs of young people in the criminal justice system.

Third, it calls for specialist services and workers from different ethnic backgrounds to feature in service planning across the UK.

Fourth, it recommends that workforce planning define the competencies needed for culturally sensitive services. It also calls for ethnic minority representation at every level of the workforce, from frontline staff through to board and trustee roles.

Why This Matters

Understanding drug use in ethnic minority groups is not a niche concern. Right now, some communities carry a disproportionate burden of harm. Some people cannot access the support they need because services were not built with them in mind.

The evidence we have is incomplete. But it points in one clear direction. A one-size-fits-all approach will always leave people behind. Services that are culturally aware, community-rooted, and genuinely accessible are not optional. They are necessary.

Source: dbrecoveryresources