Key data from Scottish Survey of Young People's Drug Use 2010

1. Drug use by Scottish school
pupils
Results from SALSUS 2010

2. Used drugs
 More than 4 in 5 (86%)
young people in
Scotland have never
used drugs
 Drug use by 15 year
olds in the last month
has fallen from 24% in
1998 to 11% in 2010.
0
5
10
15
20
25
13
years
15
years
Boys Girls
Last month Last year Ever

3. Falling drug use
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Ever - 15 years Last year - 15 years Last month - 15 years
Ever - 13 years Last year - 13 years Last month - 13 years

4. Attitudes to taking cannabis
 96% of 13 year olds don’t think it is okay to take
cannabis to see what it is like
 82% of 15 year olds don’t think it is okay to take
cannabis to see what it is like
 84% of boys don’t think it is okay to take cannabis
to see what it is like
 92% of girls don’t think it is okay to take cannabis
to see what it is like

5. Reported use of drugs in the last month
0
5
10
15
20
25
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Other
GBL or GBH
Anabolic steroids
Tranquilisers
Volatile solvents
Opiates
Psychedelics
Stimulants
Cannabis

6. Reported use of drugs in the last year
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Other
GBL or GBH
Anabolic steroids
Tranquilisers
Volatile solvents
Opiates
Psychedelics
Stimulants
Cannabis

7. Reported use of drugs ever
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Other
GBL or GBH
Anabolic steroids
Tranquilisers
Volatile solvents
Opiates
Psychedelics
Stimulants
Cannabis

8. How often
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Once A few times a year Once or twice a month
At lease once a week Most days

9. If you took drugs were you drinking at
the time?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Boys Girls
Yes
No

10. Consequences of drug use in the last
year
0
5
10
15
20
25
Boys 13 years Girls 13 years Boys 15 years Girls 15 years

11. Ever been offered drugs?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
15 years
13 years

12. How easy is it to get drugs?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Very easy Fairly
easy
Fairly
difficult
Very
difficult
Impossible Don't
know
13 years
15 years

13. Friends are the main source of drugs
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Boys
Girls

14. Used all, sold or gave away drugs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Used it all
Sold some
Gave it away

15. Do you need help because of using
drugs?
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
No
Yes
All pupils that reported ever using drugs
14 % of those who say
they take drugs ‘most
days’ say they feel they
need help

16. Does school provide the right advice and
support?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree or disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree

17. I agree with the statement that...
13 years
0 50 100
Taking drugs is
exciting
People my age who
take drugs need help
and advice
People who take drugs
are stupid
All people who sell
drugs should be
punished
Never used
Used but not in last month
Used in last month
15 years
0 20 40 60 80
Taking drugs is exciting
People my age who
take drugs need help
and advice
People who take drugs
are stupid
All people who sell
drugs should be
punished
Never used
Used but not in last month
Used in last month

18. Never used drugs and family structure
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Single parent Step parent Both parents Other
13 years
15 years

19. Never used by Index of Multiple Deprivation
(5= least deprived, 1 = most deprived)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
5 4 3 2 1
13 years
15 years

20. Never used and free school meals
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Yes No Don't know
13 years
15 years

21. Attitude to school
13 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Like it a
lot
Like it a
bit
Don't like
it very
much
Don't like
it at all
Used drugs in last month
Used drugs not in the last month
Never used drugs
15 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Like it a
lot
Like it a
bit
Don't like
it very
much
Don't like
it at all
Used drugs in last month
Used drugs not in the last month
Never used drugs

22. Ever been excluded from secondary
school?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Used drugs in the
last month
Used drugs but not
in the last month
Never used drugs
Boys - 13 years
Girls - 13 years
Boys - 15 years
Girls - 15 years

23. Truancy and drug use by 13 year olds
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Not at all Once Twice Three
times
Four
times
Five
times
Six to ten
times
More
than ten
times
Boys used in last month Boys used but not in last month
Boys never used Girls used in last month
Girls used but not in last month Girls never used

24. Truancy and drug use by 15 year olds
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Not at all Once Twice Three
times
Four
times
Five
times
Six to ten
times
More
than ten
times
Boys used in last month Boys used but not in last month
Boys never used Girls used in last month
Girls used but not in last month Girls never used

25. This presentation is taken from the
figures in the Scottish Schools
Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance
Use Survey 2010
The full report can be downloaded
from:
http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org
Any mistakes in interpretation are
entirely ours.
e: admin-scotland@mentoruk.org
t: @mentorscotland