Ecstasy use has soared among young people in the UK
The number of young people taking ecstasy in the UK has hit a 10-year high, according to research by the Home Office.
In response to the department's National Crime Survey for England and Wales, 5.4 per cent of 16 to 24 year-olds admitted taking the class A drug over the past 12 months – a 40 per cent increase from 2003-2004.
This amounts to 640,000 people of this age group taking it in the last year, with 134,0900 users in the last month alone.
The rise was not steady, however, with the biggest leap taking place in the last year. In 2013-2014, 3.9 per cent admitted to taking ecstasy.
"Although the long-term trend in last year's ecstasy use among young adults shows many fluctuations, the overall long-term direction before the recent increases was downward,” the department said in its report.
It is too early to say whether the latest estimates show a change in the direction of the trend, or another fluctuation.
Overall, the report found that one in five young people has taken a drug in the last 12 months. More than a third of UK citizens has tried an illegal substance at some point in their lifetime.