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1. There was a relatively poor response rate from respondents aged 20-24. This increases the likelihood of non-response bias and there is an indication of this in the lower levels of drug use reported by this group compared with 2003. There is, of course, no way of measuring the extent to which the apparent difference reflects a real change in behaviour, non-response bias, or an increase in the under-reporting of drug misuse. Where results for different age groups are reported, the results for the sub-group 20-24 should therefore be treated with particular caution.
2. 'Economically inactive' includes those in full time education, looking after the home/family, retired, permanently sick or disabled, and temporarily unable to work due to illness.
3. The 2004 SCVS was carried out alongside the much larger telephone based SCVS, as part of a calibration exercise which examined the reliability of obtaining Scottish victimisation data using a telephone methodology.
4. See Anderson and Leitch (1996) Main Findings from the 1993 Scottish Crime Survey, Scottish Executive Central Research Unit; Anderson and Frischer (1997) Crime and Criminal Justice Research Findings No.17 'Drug Misuse in Scotland: Findings from the 1993 and 1996 Scottish Crime Surveys', Scottish Executive Central Research Unit; Anderson and Frischer (2000) Drug Misuse in Scotland, Scottish Executive Central Research Unit; Fraser (2002) Drug Misuse in Scotland: Findings from the 2000 Scottish Crime Survey, Scottish Executive Central Research Unit; McVie, Campbell and Lebov (2004) Scottish Crime Survey 2003, Scottish Executive Social Research.
5. The prevalence of problematic opiate/benzodiazepine use in Scotland is estimated in the 'National study of prevalence of problematic drug use 2003' in Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2004. Information Services Division. A recent study of crack cocaine use in London, using capture-recapture methods, estimates that prevalence in London is approximately 4 times higher than indicated by the British Crime Survey: Hope, Hickman and Tilling. Capturing crack cocaine use: estimating the prevalence of crack cocaine use in London using capture-recapture with covariates. Addiction. Vol. 100, No. 11, November 2005.
6. there were 134 16-19 year olds in the 2004 survey
7. Fraser. Op. cit.
8. Abraham (1998). Drug use and lifestyle: Behind the superficiality of drug use prevalence rates. Presentation held at the 9th Annual Conference on Drug Use and Drug Policy, Palma de Mallorca, October 2, 1998. Amsterdam, Centrum voor Drugsonderzoek, Universiteit van Amsterdam. http://www.cedro-uva.org/lib/abraham.drug.html
9. In future waves of the survey, this problem might be addressed in two ways. Firstly, by requiring interviewers to make more calls at selected addresses. This might reduce the level of non-contact - although if no contact has been made after six calls (as at present), the potential for further calls to make a significant difference is limited. Secondly, by gathering information about the selected respondent from a household respondent at the respondent selection stage. More information on the characteristics of selected respondents would enable a more sophisticated weighting strategy to be developed. This could take account of the characteristics of known drug users in the sample to weight the data more selectively by combining these with characteristics that are related to participation in the survey
10. Anderson and Leitch . Op. Cit.
11. 'Economically inactive' includes those in full time education, looking after the home/family, retired, permanently sick or disabled, and temporarily unable to work due to illness.
12. The classification of the drugs covered by the SCS are:
    Class A: cocaine, crack, ecstasy, LSD, magic mushrooms, heroin, methadone (and amphetamines if prepared for injection)
    Class B: amphetamines (if not prepared for injection)
    Class C: anabolic steroids, cannabis, temazepam and valium
    Unclassified: poppers and glues.
13. As discussed above, because of the relatively low response rate among this age group which increases the likelihood of non-response bias, results for the 20-24 age break should be interpreted with caution.
14. The highest level of 'not sure' response was for taking tranquillisers once or twice, where 11 per cent indicated they were 'not sure'. While this perhaps suggests a surprising level of perceived knowledge among the general population, it should be borne in mind that, in surveys of this nature, respondents will usually tend to make a best guess, rather than indicate that they 'don't know' or are 'not sure'.
15. McVie, Campbell and Lebov. Op. Cit.
16. Miller and Dowds (2002). A Secondary Analysis of Drug and Alcohol Use Surveys. Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
17. McElrath (2001). Confessions of a Quantitative Criminologist. ACJS Today. International Newsletter of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Volume 24: Issue 4:1: 3-7.
18. Clark and Leven (2002). The 2000 Scottish Crime Survey: Analysis of the Ethnic Minority Booster Sample. Scottish Executive Central Research Unit.

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