Drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use among 15 and 16 year olds in the United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVE
To examine patterns of self reported drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use among a representative United Kingdom sample of people born in 1979.


METHODS
Cross sectional, single phase survey based on a stratified cluster sample of 70 United Kingdom secondary schools during March and April 1995. Pupils completed a 406 item standardised questionnaire under examination conditions.


METHODS
United Kingdom state and private secondary schools.


METHODS
7722 pupils aged 15 and 16.


METHODS
Reported use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.


RESULTS
Almost all the pupils had drunk alcohol, 36% (2772/7689) had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days, and 42.3% (3264/7722) had at some time used illicit drugs, mainly cannabis. 43% (1546/3546) of boys and 38% (1529/4009) of girls had tried cannabis. Higher levels of smoking were associated with poorer school performance (20.4% (783/3840) with average performance v 44.1% (214/486) with below average performance, F = 79.06, P < 0.01). Levels of drug use in 15 and 16 year olds in 1995 were higher in Scotland than in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.


CONCLUSIONS
Drug experimentation was high among 15 and 16 year olds, and use of cannabis was particularly high among smokers. Cigarette smoking was more common among girls than boys.
Miller
P M
PM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh.
Plant
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology