Does drug education work?
Background: In the late 1990s, when we first developed our drug educator programme, there was concern about drug use among young people. In 1996, 49% of 11-15-year-olds had tried smoking at least once, and about 12% were regular smokers. In 2003, 61% of 11-15-year-olds had drunk alcohol in the last year and in 2001, 13% had used cannabis in the last year; 4% had used a Class A drug.
Over the years there have been various government drug strategies, all containing a focus on reducing demand through high-quality drug education. There are various reasons for concern about young people’s drug use, as research from around the world has shown negative impacts on the futures of young people using drugs. These include, for example, cannabis use associated with lower educational attainment, taking drugs when young interfering with developmental processes occurring in the brain, and contributing to the development of adult health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders. There has also been some linking of cannabis use with mental health problems.
Cuts to drug education and life skill programmes in 2009/10 led to several charities closing or greatly reducing their work. Fortunately, Hope UK had reserves to fall back on and we were able to continue our work. Recently drug education has become a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
Current Situation: The long term focus on drug education has led to falling drug use. In 2021, 6% of 11-15-year-olds had tried smoking, and about 2% were current smokers; 40% had drunk alcohol ever, 5.6% had used cannabis in the last year, and 2.4% had used a Class A drug.
There are, however, some new areas of concern. Nitrous oxide use is relatively new. There has been an increase in vaping amongst young people – 9% in 2021, compared to 6% in 2018, and a report by The Mix found 44% of 16-24-year-olds were vaping in 2022. Among older young people, 17% used a class A drug (up from 11% in 2021), 33% had used an illegal drug (up from 22% in 2021), and 12% were using antidepressants outside of a prescription. The 2021 Smoking, Drinking and Drugs Report also found that young people who have recently smoked, drunk alcohol and taken drugs were more likely to report low levels of life satisfaction (57%) compared to pupils who have only done one of these (35%), and those who have done none of these (18%). We do not yet know what longer term impact the lockdowns may have on drug using patterns.
In addition, the criminal exploitation of young people through county lines remains a threat to the lives of young people across the country. Children as young as 12 are being targeted and groomed by drug dealers to deliver and sell drugs on their behalf. As a result, young people suffer physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of drug dealers. In worst-case scenarios they are murdered if they do not play by the rules of the gang.
During this time, Hope UK has continued to develop and adapt our work based on the needs of young people and from their feedback. We gather this through feedback and discussions with groups of young people we have worked with, by collecting and collating information from people working with young people, and by involving young members and our youth council in developing resources and training adults.
We continue to promote and develop high quality drug education and life skills training, knowing that young people need to be equipped to navigate their way through the various challenges that they will confront as they grow.
