Background to the Research

• This research looks at trends and patterns in drug use and attitudes among young people.
• The findings provide information that is relevant to the objectives of the drugs strategy that was launched in 1999 in NI. These objectives are:
  • To reduce the percentage of young people under 25 reporting use of illicit drugs;
  • To delay the age of first use of illict drugs;
  • To facilitate the delivery of drug information/education to young people;
  • To increase the number of drug education/prevention programmes, with formal evaluation as an integral element;
  • To increase the number of education programmes delivered in schools, youth facilities and colleges.
    

Research Approach

• This report presents descriptive and multivariate analyses of the YPBA Survey data and data gathered from an adjunct to the NI Omnibus Survey (this adjunct duplicated most of the YPBA Survey questions). It is a follow-on from the initial findings of the YPBA Survey, published in 2002.
• The YPBA Survey fieldwork was completed in October-November 2000, and the Omnibus Survey was completed in October/November 2000 and March 2001.
• The YPBA Survey interviewed 6,297 11-16 year olds in the secondary school system, and the Omnibus Survey adjunct achieved a sample of 640 16-25 year olds in households.
  

Main Findings

• Levels of drug use reported in the YPBA Survey, in terms of ever having used an illicit drug and/or current use, are broadly comparable to figures quoted in other recent high quality surveys, yet the amounts reported are higher than other surveys. This indicates that drug use among young people is continuing to rise.
• 32.9% of YPBA respondents report having been offered drugs, and 24.5% tried or used at least one illicit drug at least once. 16.5% state they are currently using at least one drug, and 6.8% claim to be using drugs frequently.
• The corresponding figures for the older respondents (16-25 years) from the Omnibus Survey are: 59.5% have been offered drugs; 37.3% have used a drug at least once; 23.1% report current use; and 5.2% claim frequent use.
• After alcohol and tobacco, the most commonly used drugs in the YPBA sample are solvents, with 9% claiming current use, and cannabis (9.5% claiming current use). Cannabis users tend to be older than solvent abusers.
• For the Omnibus sample, cannabis is the most commonly used drug (21.2% claiming current use), and ecstasy (6.6%).
• Multiple drug use is relatively uncommon. Among the YPBA respondents, 10% report using more than one drug in their lifetimes and 6.3% are currently using more than one drug. The equivalent figures for Omnibus respondents are 22.6% and 8.1%.
• In the YPBA Survey, boys, older pupils, students in secondary schools, pupils who receive free school meals, and those located in the Belfast and South Eastern Education and Library Boards all report higher rates of drug use. Respondents from the Southern Education and Library Board reported lower amount of drug use than other Boards. This is mostly due to a 'lack of exposure' than any other factor, i.e. fewer respondents being offered drugs.
• In the Omnibus Survey, males and the unemployed or those in part-time work report higher rates of drug use.
• The YPBA data shows that first use of drugs, ease of access, current use of, and offering drugs to others, are all strongly linked with age. While 5.4% of 12 year olds had used drugs, this figure rises to 32.8% for 16 year olds.
• This link with age is also seen in the Omnibus sample, but only in late adolescence, reaching a 'plateau' in the early twenties.
• In both samples, peers of the same age or friends were overwhelmingly reported as those who first offered drugs to the respondents. Significantly more of those who were first offered drugs by someone they knew subsequently try drugs.
• However, in the YPBA sample, peers were reported to be the group most likely to censure the drug use of users.
• Young people in the YPBA survey who use drugs were also less likely than non-drug users to state that they felt happy.
• Multivariate analyses of the YPBA data established that increased age and being male were consistently associated with all types of drug use.
• Multivariate analyses of the Omnibus data (the older sample) also confirmed a link with being male and drug use but did not find a consistent relationship between increased age and drug use.
• Between those exposed and those not exposed to drug education, the actual difference in claimed knowledge about the dangers of drugs is small in size. While large majorities of non-users of drugs see the use of all drugs as dangerous, so too do considerable proportions of drug users.
• From the YPBA data, it was found that experience of drug education at school was associated with less drug use, but also that experience of drug education delivered through youth groups and community organisations was associated with more drug use. Generally, no such associations were found in the Omnibus sample.
• Some previous users of 'hard' drugs or combinations of 'soft' drugs were found to have moderated their drug use. However, in contrast to 'soft' drug users (even those who had used several 'soft' drugs) users of 'hard' drugs were less likely to have stopped using drugs.
• Among those who stated that they used drugs at some time in their lives, approximately one-third claimed to have ceased drug use altogether.
• For YPBA respondents, the experience of drug education at school was found to be associated with ceasing to use drugs.
• More research is needed in the following areas:
  • Tthe effects that socio-economic background and/or geographic location have on drug use;
  • The social context surrounding drug use, especially the influence of peers and families;
  • The content, perception and effects of drug education.