There are four times more knife-related killings as firearms-related killings. More than 70 youngsters died at the hands of gangs in Britain in 2008. In London, 26 were stabbed to death. More than 170 gangs, with members as young as ten have been identified by police in London alone. Many are loose affiliations of friends from the same area intent on controlling a 'turf' or territory, often defined by a post code. the penalty for straying into the wrong area is to be robbed, beaten or stabbed. Many teenagers now routinely carry a knife out of fear, in order to defend themselves if attacked. Experts blame the breakdown of family life for the rise of gang culture. the gang has replaced the family unit and provides youngsters with a structure and a sense Just over half of all firearms offences occurred in just three major forces - the Metropolitan Police in London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands. The trend in firearms offences is down in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London. However, there have also been recent rises. In the 12 months to July 2007 the Met saw a 3.5% rise in firearms offences in London - up from 3,485 to 3,607 incidents. Nottingham is a city that has struggled with a guns label after a number of killings in 2004, including schoolgirl Danielle Beccan - but its police chiefs say public perception is at odds with reality because the city witnesses far fewer incidents per resident than other so-called gun hotspots. While there has been substantial concern in recent years over the use of imitation weapons in gang incidents - not least because some can be converted into real guns - the figures show there has also been a decrease here. Police recorded some 2,517 offences in 2006/07 involving imitation firearms - down almost a quarter on the previous year. What all of this means is that we cannot draw any simple nationwide conclusions about gun crime. What we can say with certainty is that gun crime is a problem that remains closely focused in some cities that have witnessed some terrible deaths.

The 1965 Dangerous Drugs Act began to bring UK law in line with parts of the UN Single Convention. An Advisory Committee on Drug Dependency was set up, and a sub-committee chaired by Baroness Wooton started to look into the legal position of cannabis, still the same as for opiates, with no distinction between possession and supply. A new crime was invented, allowing premises to be used for drug taking. Convictions for cannabis offences rose by 79% in a year - in 1967 they rose another 113%. Up to 90% of those convictions were for personal possession. According to the Wootton Report, 15% of people convicted for possessing under 30 grams were sentenced to prison, including 13% who had no previous convictions. Drugs and crime are linked in a number of other ways including: Theft, fraud, shoplifting and burglary. People who commit violent offences while under the influence of drugs, particularly alcohol. Drunkenness is associated with a majority of murders, manslaughters and stabbings and half of domestic assaults. Alcohol and drug-related driving offences. Violence involving drug dealers who may clash with rival gangs or be violent towards drug users who owe them money. The 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act came into force in April 1973. An apparent short term drop in convictions, partly caused by changes in what was being measured, was followed by enormous increases, which still continue.