The document summarizes findings from the 2010 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) regarding drinking by Scottish school pupils. It finds that nearly 60% of 13-year-olds have never had an alcoholic drink, compared to only 23% of 15-year-olds. It also reports that 86% of 13-year-olds and 66% of 15-year-olds have not drunk alcohol in the last week. The data further examines factors like deprivation, family structure, attitudes, and perceptions of support that relate to drinking behaviors among Scottish youth.

1. Drinking by Scottish school
pupils
Results from SALSUS 2010

2. Ever drunk alcohol
 Nearly 6 out of 10
(56%) 13 year olds
have never had an
alcoholic drink
 This falls to 23% of 15
year olds.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Boys
13
years
Girls
13
years
Boys
15
years
Girls
15
years
Ever
Never

3. Last time
 86% of 13 year olds
have not drunk alcohol
in the last week
 66% of 15 year olds
have not drunk alcohol
in the last week
 Over 50% have not
drunk in the last 6
months
0 20 40 60
in the last week
between 1 and 2
weeks
between 2 weeks
and 4 weeks
between 1 month
and 6 months
6 months or more
never had a drink
Girls Boys

4. Weekly drinking
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
15 years
13 years

5. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Less
than 1
unit
1 to 6 7 to 13 14 to
20
21 to
27
28 to
34
35 to
41
42 to
48
49 or
more
13 yeas
15 years
Units of alcohol drunk in the last week
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
MEAN 15 20 20 17
MEDIAN 8 11 10 10
20 units = 7 bottles of
alcopop, or half litre
vodka

6. Ever drunk?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Never Once 2 to 3 times 4 to 10 times More than
10 times
13 years
15 years

7. Is it okay to get drunk?
 7 out of 10 young
people in Scotland
don’t think it is okay to
get drunk to see what it
is like.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
13
years
15
years
Boys Girls
Not okay to get drunk to
see what it is like

8. Effects of drinking
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Boys 13 years Girls 13 years Boys 15 years Girls 15 years

9. Drunkeness
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Boys 13 years Girls 13 years Boys 15 years Girls 15 years
Been drunk in the last week
Tried to get drunk last week
Felt ill, sick or vomited from alcohol in the last week

10. Who buys your alcohol?
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Younger friend
Boyfriend/girlfriend
Mother or father's partner
Someone else
Sibling
Someone I know, but not well
Friend (own age)
Parent or carer
Stranger
Older friend
Girls Boys

11. What does your family think?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
They don't like it They don't mind They don't know I
drink
I don't know
Boys 13 years Girls 13 years Boys 15 years Girls 15 years
Pupils who drank in the last week

12. Multiple deprivation and drinking
(5 = least deprived, 1 = most deprived)
13 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Drank in
the last
week
Drank but
not in the
last week
Never
drunk
alcohol
5
4
3
2
1
15 years
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Drank in
the last
week
Drank but
not in the
last week
Never
drunk
alcohol
5
4
3
2
1

13. Multiple deprivation and being drunk
(5 = least deprived, 1 = most deprived)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
13 years 15 years
5
4
3
2
1

14. Free school meals
13 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Gets free
school
meals
Doesn't get
free school
meals
Don't know
Drank in the last week
Drank but not in the last week
Never drank alcohol
15 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
Gets free
school
meals
Doesn't get
free school
meals
Don't know
Drank in the last week
Drank but not in the last week
Never drank alcohol

15. Family structure and being drunk
13 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Never Once Two
or
three
times
For to
ten
times
More
thank
ten
times
Single parent Step parent
Both parents Other
15 years
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Never Once Two
or
three
times
For to
ten
times
More
thank
ten
times
Single parent Step parent
Both parents Other

16. Truancy and drinking
13 years
0
20
40
60
80
100
Drank in the last week
Drank over a week ago
Never drank
15 years
0
20
40
60
80
100
Drank in the last week
Drank over a week ago
Never drank

17. 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
Drank last week
Drank over a week ago
Never drank
15 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Like it a
lot
Like it a
bit
Don't like
it very
much
Don't like
it at all
Drank last week
Drank over a week ago
Never drank

18. Does school provide the advice and support needed
to help make decisions about drinking?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
13 years 15 years Boys Girls
Strongly agree Agree
Neither agree or disagree Disagree
Strongly disagree

19. 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