This statistical bulletin presents information on drug misuse among young people. The key sources used within this publication are Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among Young People in England, The British Crime Survey, Drug Offenders in England and Wales and The Offending, Crime and Justice Survey. The main findings are
• In 2005, 11% of secondary school children in England reported using drugs in
the month prior to interview while 19% reported using drugs in the year prior to interview;
• Among 11 year olds, 4% had sniffed volatile substances in the last year while
1% had taken cannabis. Among 15 year olds, 7% reported using volatile substances compared to 27% who used cannabis;
• Among secondary school children who had taken drugs in the year prior to interview in 2003, 43% reported wanting to give up immediately, but 13% said they did not want to stop;
• In 2003, 17% of secondary school children thought it was acceptable to try cannabis, 10% thought it acceptable to try sniffing glue and 4% believed it OK to try cocaine;
• 26.3% of young adults aged 16-24 reported using drugs in the year prior to interview in England and Wales in 2004/05. 16.3% had used drugs in the month prior to interview. Almost half (45.8%) reported that they had ever used drugs;
• More young men than young women reported using drugs in the year prior to interview (32.9% compared with 20.8%);
• Between 1998 and 2004/05, the reported prevalence of drug use among young adults in the month prior to interview decreased from 20.8% to 16.3% and in the year prior to interview decreased from 31.8% to 26.3%;
• Among young people aged between 10 and 25 living in England and Wales in 2004 who had ever used drugs, almost half (48%) reported first using a drug between the ages of 10 and 15;
• Deaths related to drug misuse fell between 2000 and 2004. Among young people under the age of 30, deaths fell from 583 to 401.