This document summarizes data on smoking, drinking, and drug use among young people in England. It finds that while these behaviors have generally been decreasing among youth, many still engage in risky behaviors. Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug. Factors like family environment, personality traits, and peer influences can increase youths' risk, while protective factors like strong family relationships and doing well in school can decrease risk. Schools are encouraged to help keep students safe through education programs.

1. Smoking, drinking and drug use
by young people in England
What do we
know?

2. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Ever taken
drugs
Drank alcohol
in the past
week
Regular
smoker
Smoking, drinking and drug use are falling:
trends among 14 year olds 1

3. We know smoking is falling among adults
as well 2
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
16-19 20-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 60 and
over
2001
2011

4. That binge drinking is falling among young
adults (16-24) is less well known 2
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Men who drank
more than 8 units
on at least one day
in past week
Women who drank
more than 6 units
on at least one day
in past week

5. What about illegal drugs?

6. Cannabis is by far the most common illegal
drug among young people 1
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
12 years
13 years
14 years
15 years
Used
in
past
year

7. Illegal drug use has been falling
(% using in past year, 11-15 yr olds)1
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Cannabis
Any stimulants
Glue, gas, aerosols
or solvents
Any Class A drug

8. A similar pattern is seen among 16-24 year
olds (past year use)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Cannabis
Any stimulant
drug
Any Class A
drug

9. But many young people are still risking
their health
 1 in 7 13 year olds say they have been drunk at least
twice.4
 1 in 10 15-16 year olds have had unprotected sex
after drinking.5
 1 in 5 15 year olds smoked cannabis in the past year
(and 1 in 20 took a Class A drug). 1
 Ambulance services recorded 44 call outs each week
to underage drinkers in London alone in 2009.6

10. Future wellbeing can also be affected
 Early drinking, particularly frequent drinking and
binge drinking increases the risk of alcohol problems
in adulthood.7
 The earlier someone starts smoking, the less likely
they are to have successfully given up smoking in
later life – and they are more likely to die earlier from
a related condition or disease.8
 Drinking once or twice a week has been associated
with total GCSE scores around 20 points lower
(equivalent to the difference between an A and an D
in one subject).9

11. Drank in
past
week -
28%
Used drugs
in past
month -
12%
Smoked in
last week -
16%
All 15 year
olds
No recent
substance
use - 64%
Smoking, drinking and drug use overlap1

12. Which young people are most at risk?

13. Risk factors7,10
Environment
e.g. easy access to
drugs; friends use
drugs, smoke or
drink frequently
Family
e.g. family conflict;
parents don’t monitor
activities; parents
smoke, drink heavily
or use drugs
Personality
e.g. impulsive
personality; depression
or stress; aggressive
personality
Own life
e.g. starts
smoking, drinking at
early age; sexually
active at early age
Education
e.g. low
achievement;
absence, truancy
and drop-out; little
formal support

14. Protective factors7,10
Environment
e.g. friends that
don’t drink or use
drugs; positive
adult role models
Family
e.g. good
relationship with
parents; parents
supervise and
monitor activities
Personality
e.g. thinks before
acting
Own life
e.g. starts smoking and
drinking at later age;
religious values
Education
e.g. does well at
school; gets on
well with teachers

15. What can schools do to help pupils stay safe?
Find out more on http://mentor-adepis.org

16. References
1. Fuller, E. (2012) Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in
England in 2011. HSCIC
2. Office for National Statistics (2013) General Lifestyle Survey, 2011
3. Home Office (2012) Drug misuse declared: findings from the 2011/12 Crime
Survey for England and Wales. Home Office
4. WHO (2012) Health behaviours in school-aged children
5. ESPAD (2009) The 2007 ESPAD report
6. Alcohol Concern (2010) Right time, right place. Alcohol harm reduction
strategies with children and young people. Alcohol Concern
7. Donaldson, L. (2009) Guidance on the consumption of alcohol by children
and young people. Department of Health
8. Jit, M. et al. (2009) School-based interventions to prevent the uptake of
smoking among children and young people: cost-effectiveness model. NICE
9. Green, R. and Ross, A. (2010) Young people’s alcohol consumption and its
relationship to other outcomes and behaviour. National Centre for Social
Research
10. Dillon, L., et al. (2007) Risk, protective factors and resilience to drug use:
identifying resilient young people and learning from their experiences.
Home Office