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Digital

National Statistics
Publication, Part of

Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England - 2006, Release of headline figures

National statistics, Accredited official statistics
Publication Date:
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
Regions, Country, Government Office Regions
Date Range:
01 Jan 2006 to 30 Sep 2006

Summary

This report contains headline results from an annual survey of secondary school pupils aged 11 to 15. The main report on the survey will be published in August. 8,200 pupils in 290 schools in England completed questionnaires in the autumn term of 2006.

This report includes the latest information on the prevalence of smoking among this age group; pupils reporting having drunk alcohol in the last week and the amount of alcohol drunk; and information on pupils reporting taking drugs within the last month or year, including data on the use of individual drugs and the frequency of drug taking.

For smoking, drinking and drug use differences between age, sex and over time are included. These headline figures also include information on drug taking among pupils who have been either truant or excluded from school.

Highlights

For pupils aged 11 to 15:

  • 9 per cent were regular smokers in 2006, a proportion which has remained unchanged since 2003
  • in 2006, 21 per cent drank alcohol in the previous week, maintaining the decline in the prevalence of drinking recorded in recent years
  • 17 per cent reported that they had taken drugs in the last year, down from 19 per cent in 2005
  • 9 per cent had taken drugs in the last month, also lower than the proportion who had done so in 2005 (11 per cent)
  • 4 per cent said they usually took drugs once a month or more often, a decrease from 6 per cent in 2005.

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Last edited: 8 February 2022 1:11 pm