Prisoners Abroad teams up with the FCO to warn of dangers of drugs abroad

British nationals should take extra care not to get involved with drugs overseas Foreign & Commonwealth Minister Chris Bryant warns, as new detention figures reveal the extent of the problem across the globe.

New data released by the FCO reveals that 1057 of the 2,582 British nationals detained overseas at the end of September 2009 were held on drugs charges.

The figures also show that :

* In South America, 99% of the British nationals detained by local authorities were held for drug crimes
* In Asia, 50% of British national detentions were for drugs

Chris Bryant said: “Britons should know the risks of taking drugs abroad - and they should also be extremely wary of being sucked into the drugs trade. New figures show that over 1000 Brits are in prisons overseas for drugs. People often don’t realize that they will be sentenced in that country, that sentencing can take many months, prison conditions can be very difficult to handle and that sentences can be very long. The message is clear - we can`t get people out of jail in other countries, so if you don`t want to waste your life away in a tough foreign jail, be sensible and keep clean."

Pauline Crowe, Chief Executive of Prisoners Abroad, said: "Conditions can be very poor in overseas prisons - particularly in South America where a lot of people are arrested on drugs charges. Prisoners are often faced with severe overcrowding, poor quality food, water and medical care, and sometimes with violence. People may commit drugs offences for a wide variety of reasons, but we would encourage people to think of the consequences they will face if caught - the loss of liberty, the impact on their health, and the effect it will have on their family."

Prisoners Abroad - Jan 2010

www.prisonersabroad.org.uk

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