FOI reference: FOI-2025-2513
You asked
I would like to request information in relation to the relationship between crime and addiction.
Do you have any statistics such as theft to fund addiction, driving under the influence (drink and drugs), how many people were arrested under the influence of drugs and alcohol or any statistics that would relate to the above question.
We said
Thank you for contacting the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice. We produce statistics from two main sources; the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), and Police Recorded Crime (PRC). Our publications and data concern crime as it is experienced by victims, or as it is recorded by the police.
In response to specific requests:
Theft to fund addiction
Unfortunately, we do not hold the information you have requested. However, as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales, we publish statistics on the nature of crime, of which we record victims' perceptions of whether a perpetrator of a robbery was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is Table 9 in the latest release.
Driving under the influence (drink and drugs)
Unfortunately, we do not hold the information you have requested. However, data on 'causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs' are published as part of Police Recorded Crime in quarterly bulletin for Crime in England and Wales. These data are available in Table A5 in the Appendix tables.
How many people were arrested under the influence of drugs and alcohol
The Home Office are responsible for publishing policing statistics, which includes arrest data tables. If you have any queries regarding these data, the Home Office can be contacted at CrimeandPoliceStats@homeoffice.gov.uk. The CSEW is a victimisation survey, recording crimes as experienced by victims, rather than characteristics of perpetrators.
Any statistics that would relate to the above question
ONS publishes an annual overview of drug misuse in England and Wales (latest release here) but this does not include content on any relationship between crime and addition. That page contains many useful links to related publications by ONS on drug and alcohol misuse.