Drugs and young people

The UK has one of the highest rate of drug and alcohol misuse in Western Europe.

And that includes young people.

More than one in two young people say they have been drunk in the last 12 months. 150 young adults every day are treated in Accident and Emergency because of binge drinking, 30 of them under 18-year olds.

The number using Class A drugs is proportionally small – 2.4%. But this is over 73,000 school children across England who took a Class A drug in the last 12 months.  And cocaine use amongst young adults is on the rise. What’s more, 8.2% of young people in the UK now say they use ‘legal highs’ .

The long term results are: broken families, patchy learning, chronic ill-health, increased crime, wreaked job prospects, and costs to public services that run into billions of pounds every year.

Risk factors

Which young people are most likely to have problems? Drugs and alcohol can reach into the heart of any family, regardless of class, income or family circumstance.

However, we know some of the things that cause greater risks.  For 10 -16 year-olds the likely risks include:

• anti-social behaviour, minor and serious
• being in trouble at school (including truanting and exclusion)
• friends in trouble
• early smoking;
• not getting free school meals where entitled

Further psychological traits can be identified in young adults (17 – 24 year-olds). For example, impulsivity, lack of sensitivity and belonging to few groups.

How young are drug users?

The most important factor is the type of drug. Typically a young drug user first tries alcohol aged 14, takes cannabis aged 15, first tries ecstasy aged 16 – 18, and first tries cocaine aged 17 – 18.

Giving children a choice

How can we help young people to make informed choices around drugs and alcohol, to stand up to peer, social and psychological pressures?

Young people, schools, parents, local groups and legislators must work together.

Parents and carers play a vital role. Their attitudes and actions are a key influence on children’s decisions. (See our Parent’s page for tips to help parents prevent their child being harmed by drugs or alcohol.)

Schools must be a hub for educating young people about drug and alcohol misuse through inspiring, well-resourced programmes supported by out-of-school projects too.  See the principles of effective drug education here.

All Mentor’s projects put young people at the heart of what we do. Their views help shape the policies and programmes of drug prevention that we are creating with legislators, parents and schools.