Drug Use Among 15–16 Year Olds in Wales, 1990–94

Abstract

This paper presents self reported data on trends in recent drug use among 15–16 year olds in Wales. The data are drawn from three large scale surveys conducted within schools across the country in 1990, 1992 and 1994. The results show that over the four years the proportion of pupils reporting to have ever used drugs increased from 24% to 40% for boys and from 20% to 40% for girls. Similarly, those reporting the use of any drug in the month prior to the survey increased among both sexes, from 12% to 24% for boys and from 10% to 23% for girls. Further analysis indicates that there were increases in both one-off and more frequent use of individual substances and that the number of substances used increased. The data also show that the age at which respondents first experimented with drugs fell between 1990 and 1994, and that of the drugs asked about in 1994 cannabis was the most widely used, followed by LSD, amphetamines and nitrites. In addition, the 1994 survey indicates that two-thirds of pupils have been offered drugs during their lifetime. It is suggested that drug use amongst teenagers in Wales is becoming normalised within youth culture and that there is a need to respond through the use of appropriate educational, community and environmental action.