The national drug commission yesterday advised caution on the interpretation of the statistic of 41 per cent of prison inmates having tested positive for drugs last year.

The Sunday Times correctly quoted from the latest report on the drug situation that says: “In 2010, a total number of 731 individuals were in prison after arrest or sentencing. After being tested, 41 per cent of inmates (299 individuals) tested positive for opiates, cocaine, cannabis or a mix of two or all drug types.”

But the report goes on to say that last year there were 731 inmates admitted to prison and on admission 30 per cent of all inmates (233 individuals) resulted positive for any drug following standard testing.

The National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Dependencies, together with the National Focal Point on Drugs and Drug Addiction said: “This means these individuals used drugs before going to prison and not while in prison.”

However, The Sunday Times had specifically asked the commission to clarify this.

In a statement issued by the Department of Information the commission added: “The statistics quoted in the press refer to the report summary where it is stated that ‘After being tested 41 per cent of inmates tested positive but does not indicate whether this was on admission or during the stay at CCF’. It is not saying that people who entered the prison drug free developed a habit during their stay there” .

The statement adds: “The data is clear on one issue, however, that a proportion of the prison population enters CCF with a drug problem. In fact during the year 2010, 37 per cent of the inmates were sentenced for drug related offences while not in prison.”