In Britain, the cost of "street" drugs is at an unprecedented low, according to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). A survey of police, informers, and undercover operators finds that drugs bought on the street, in clubs, and by telephone are cheaper than at any time in the last six years. Of the eleven drugs studied, the prices of marijuana, ecstasy, and amphetamine are at an all-time low. The survey also shows that prices vary around the country. In a given place, higher prices are charged by dealers operating in pubs and clubs, and who sell to strangers on the street.

It is suggested that the government's war on drugs is failing, in spite of the additional resources given to the police and customs authorities. Indeed, the customs service says that the key indicator of success for them in cutting off supply is rising drug prices. Part of the problem is that dealers are increasingly relying on marijuana grown in secret greenhouses inside the country.

(Updated June 1, 2001)