The West Midlands region sits at the heart of England, covering an area of 12,998 square kilometres and having a 10.6% share of the UK population. The population of the region numbering 5.36 million people.

It is a region of contrasts, despite being over 80% rural the West Midlands includes the second largest urban area in the country. Birmingham has a population of one million people and with Solihull and the Black Country creates an urban conurbation of 2.5 million people.  Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Shropshire represent the rural areas and can have a population density as low as 90 people per square kilometre and areas such as Staffordshire straddle the urban/rural divide.

More on drug treatment 2009-10 in the West Midlands