Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the health problems and treatment needs of drug-misusing offenders and to draw out the implications of the findings for health education and prevention.

Design/methodology/approach - This analysis is based on data collected as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) programme. The survey was based on interviews and urine sample collection with over 3,000 arrestees.

Findings - The research found that young arrestees experienced a wide range of drug-related and general health problems. The implications of this are discussed in the context of programmes implemented as part of the government's drug strategy.

Originality/value - The NEW-ADAM surveys provide an original source of information on the drug and general health needs of young people at the first point of entry in the criminal justice system.