Dr Winstock, who founded the Global Drug Survey, also points to social factors which limit drug taking in women. “There’s certainly more shame and stigma around women taking drugs than there is men. Women are less likely to disclose their drug use to their peers, which in turn limits their access to controlled substances – if people don’t know they take drugs or would be interested in taking drugs, they’re less likely to be offered them.” He suggests this may pose a methodological problem in government surveys where people are asked to report their own behaviour – as women may be more likely to play down what they take. “Do men enjoy taking drugs more than women? No, I don’t think so.”