Smoking Drinking and Drug Use by Young People in England in 2009

Drugs

Proportions of young people taking drugs

Taken drugs

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EverLast yearLast month

Ever taken drugs

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

10

20

30

40

50

60

15 years14 years13 years12 years11 years

Taken drugs in the last year

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

15 years14 years13 years12 years11 years

Taken drugs in the last month

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

30

15 years14 years13 years12 years11 years

Use by Drug Type

How much is VSA contributing to drug use?

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Ever used drugsEver used drugs (excluding volatile substances)

Cannabis use

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

BoysGirls

Class A drug use in the last year

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

1

2

3

4

5

6

BoysGirls

Individual drugs taken in the last year by age

11 years

12 years

13 years

14 years

15 years

0

5

10

15

20

25

Volatile SubstancesAny Class ACannabis

Boys drugs of choice by age

11 years

12 years

13 years

14 years

15 years

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Two or more types of drug, including at least one Class A drugTwo or more types of drug, but no Class A drugsAny other drug onlyClass A onlyVolatile substances onlyCannabis only

Girls drug of choice by age

11 years

12 years

13 years

14 years

15 years

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Two or more types of drug, including at least one Class A drugTwo or more types of drug, but no Class A drugsAny other drug onlyClass A onlyVolatile substances onlyCannabis only

How often do young people take drugs?

3%3%1%

3%

7%

83%

Once2-5 occasions6-10 occasionsMore than 10 oc-casionsTaken drugs, not in the last yearNever taken drugs

Number of occasions pupils who took drugsin the last year have ever taken drugs, by age

11-12 years

13 years 14 years 15 years0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

More than 10 oc-casions6-10 occasions2-5 occasionsOnce

Of the 3.6% of young people that report taking a Class A drug in the last year, 54% say they have taken it on 10 or more occasions.

Of the 5.5% of young people who say they took a volatile substance in the last year, 43% say they have only taken it once.

4% of young people say they take drugs at least once a month.

Risk factors

Truancy and Exclusion

Proportions of pupils who usually take drugs at least once a month, by whether ever truanted or excluded

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

Truanted or excludedNever truanted or excluded

Proportions of pupils who took Class A drugs in the last year, by whether ever truanted or excluded

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Truanted or excludedNever truanted or excluded

Starting points

Drug first used by young people that have taken drugs

Volatile substances

Cannabis Any Class A Other drugs0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Drugs taken at age of first drug use, by age of first drug use

11 years

12 years

13 years

14 years

15 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Volatile substances onlyCannabis only

Supply

Offers of drugs

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

First Dealers and Most Recent

Friend

of p

upil’s

own

age

Older

friend

Youn

ger f

riend

Boyfri

end

or g

irlfri

end

Broth

er o

r sist

er

Pare

nt o

r ste

p-pa

rent

Som

eone

kno

wn of

, but

not

per

sona

lly

Stra

nger

Som

eone

else

0

10

20

30

40

50

First occasion Most recent occasion

Reasons and Values

Do motivations for taking drugs change as a result of experience?

I wan

ted

to see

wha

t it w

as like

I wan

ted

to g

et h

igh

or fe

el g

ood

Beca

use

my fri

ends

wer

e do

ing

it

I had

not

hing

bet

ter t

o do

I wan

ted

to fo

rget

my pr

oblem

s

Just b

ecau

se I

was o

ffere

d

It was

a d

are

Beca

use

it’s co

ol

Other

reas

ons

0

20

40

60

First time Most recent timeTaken drugs 10 or more times

How did you feel the first time you took drugs?

Good Bad No different0

10

20

30

40

50

60

BoysGirls

75% of volatile substance users said it didn’t make them feel any different the first time they took it.

76% of Class A drug users said it made them feel good the first time they tried it.

60% of cannabis users said they felt good after using the drug for the first time.

Where do young people get their drugs?

40%

20%

14%

13%

6%6%

Out on the street, in a park or other outdoor areaIn someone else’s homeAt schoolAt a party, club, disco or raveAt homeSomewhere else

Who do young people take drugs with?

Cannabis only

Volatile substances

Class A

Other drugs

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

A friendNo-one

If you take drugs do you want to give up?

43%

18%

13%

26%

Yes, I would like to give up nowYes, I would like to give up in the futureNoNot sure

64% of volatile substance users said they would like to give up immediately

Okay to try?

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

OK to try taking cannabis to see what it’s likeOK to try sniffing glue to see what it’s likeOK to try taking cocaine to see what it’s like

Okay to take once a week?

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

2

4

6

8

10

12

OK to take cannabis once a weekOK to sniff glue once a weekOK to take cocaine once a week

Family reaction

84%

15%1%

Family try to stop me Family try to persuade me not to Family do nothing Family encourage me

Do you perceive your families follow different strategies once they know you take drugs?

Fam

ily tr

y to

sto

p m

e

Fam

ily tr

y to

per

suad

e m

e no

t to

Fam

ily d

o no

thin

g

Fam

ily e

ncou

rage

me

0

20

40

60

80

Family know about drug useFamily don't know about drug use

Information

Sources of helpful information - people

Pare

nts

Siblings

Other

relativ

es

Friend

sGP

Teac

hers

Other

adu

lts a

t sch

ool

Polic

e0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

BoysGirls

Sources of helpful information about druguse, by age

11 years 12 years 13 years 14 years 15 years0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

TeachersParentsFriends

Sources of helpful information – media

TV

Radio

Newsp

aper

s or

mag

azines

Inte

rnet

FRAN

K

Helplines

01020304050607080

BoysGirls

Recalled lesson on drugs in the last year

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 110

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

What drug education lessons teach young people who can recall having them

They helped me think about the risks of taking drugs

They helped me find out more about drugs

They helped me realise that taking drugs is against the law

They helped me to avoid drugs

They helped me think about what I would do if someone offered me drugs

They helped me find out where to go to get information/help about drugs

They helped me understand why people take drugs

They helped me see that not as many young people take drugs as I thought

0 20 40 60 80 100