SALSUS

Statistical Publication Notice

23 June 2009

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey

INTRODUCTION

• prevalence of smoking, drinking and drug use
• frequency of substance use
• sources of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs
• pupils? attitudes to substance use

KEY POINTS

• Among 13 year olds the proportion who report being regular smokers remained much the same between 2006 and 2008 (3% in both years for boys and dropping, although not significantly, from 5% in 2006 to 4% in 2008 for girls).  Among 15 year old girls, prevalence is continuing to decline (18% in 2006 dropping to 16% in 2008).  However, the proportion of 15 year old boys who are regular smokers has increased from 12% in 2006 to 14% in 2008
• There has been a decrease in the proportion of pupils reporting that they had a drink in the last week between 2006 and 2008. The proportion of 13 year olds has declined from 14% to 11% and, for 15 year olds, the proportion has declined from 36% to 31%.
• Twenty per cent of 15 year olds and 5% of 13 year olds reported they had used drugs in the last year and 13% of 15 year olds and 3% of 13 year olds reported that they had used drugs in the last month. By far the most common drug taken was cannabis.  There has been little change in prevalence since 2006.

INTERPRETATION

DETAILED FINDINGS

• There was an increase between 2006 and 2008 in the proportion of pupils who reported that they had never smoked, from 69% to 75% of 13 year olds, and from 47% to 51% of 15 year olds.
• Among 15 year olds, girls were more likely than boys to be current or past smokers: 47% of 15 year old girls had never smoked, compared with 55% of 15 year old boys. 
  Among regular smokers (smoking at least one cigarette a week), almost half (49%) of 13 year olds and 41% of 15 year olds would like to give up smoking. 
• Although it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children under the age of 18, pupils reported buying cigarettes from a range of sources, most commonly a shop (42% of 13 year old regular smokers and 57% of 15 year old regular smokers), from a van (20% of 13 year old regular smokers and 16% of 15 year old regular smokers) and from a machine (13% of 13 year old regular smokers and 10% of 15 year old regular smokers).  It may be possible that pupils purchased from more than one of these sources.

• Fifty two percent of 13 year olds and 82% of 15 year olds have had at least one alcoholic drink. 
• There has been a decrease in the proportion of pupils reporting that they had a drink in the last week between 2006 and 2008. The proportion of 13 year olds has declined from 14% to 11% and, for 15 year olds, the proportion has declined from 36% to 31%.
• For boys in both age groups, the most popular drink was beer/lager/cider (80% of 13 year olds and 82% of 15 year olds who had drunk in the last week).  The most popular drink for 13 year old girls was alcopops (78%) and, among 15 year old girls, it was spirits/liqueurs (77%).
• Half of 13 year olds who had ever had an alcoholic drink reported having been ?really drunk? at least once, compared with 72% of 15 year olds.  Among 15 year olds who had ever had an alcoholic drink, girls were more likely to report having been ?really drunk? (74% of girls compared with 71% of boys).
• The two most commonly reported drink-related effects were ?vomiting? and ?having an argument?.  Twenty six percent of 13 year olds and 39% of 15 year olds who had ever drunk alcohol reported vomiting as a result of drinking in the last year.  ?Having an argument? was reported by 25% of 13 year olds and 39% of 15 year olds. 

• Twenty-three per cent of 15 year olds and 7% of 13 year olds reported that they had ever used drugs.
• Use of cannabis in the last month was reported by 13% of all 15 year old boys, 10% of all 15 year old girls, and 2% of both 13 year old boys and 13 year old girls. Very few pupils reported using any other drug.
• Fifty-one per cent of 15 year olds and 22% of 13 year olds reported that they had been offered at least one drug.
• Friends were the most commonly reported source of drugs.  Forty-three percent of 15 year olds who had taken drugs reported obtaining them from a friend of their own age and 36% from an older friend.  Conversely, 13 year olds were more likely to report having obtained drugs from an older friend than a friend their own age (38% compared to 31%).
• More pupils reported that they had been offered cannabis than any other drug: 40% of 15 year olds and 12% of 13 year olds. Boys were more likely than girls to have been offered cannabis (29% compared with 24%).

• Overall, the proportion of pupils participating regularly in substance use (smoking weekly, drinking weekly or using drugs in the last month) was low, particularly for the younger age group.  Eleven per cent of 13 year olds fell into one or more of these categories. The proportion was greater for 15 year olds: 33% regularly used at least one substance.

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Laura Wood
Senior Information Researcher
0131 275 6482
laurawood1@nhs.net

Lynne Jarvis
Information Analyst
0131 275 6424
lynne.jarvis@nhs.net

Lee Davies
Programme Principal, Substance Misuse
0131 275 6193
lee.davies2@nhs.net

PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: May 2007
Next Due: July 2011
Data Avaliable Since: 1982

Main contact: Laura Wood

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