UK: Government told it is losing war on child drug taking

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Celia Hall, Medical Editor

Daily Telegraph

Thursday 01 Apr 2004

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The war on drug taking among children is having little or no impact, with
figures released yesterday showing that the problem in England is getting
worse.

Millions of pounds of government money has been spent in recent years on
school programmes to discourage children from drinking, taking drugs and
smoking.

The latest survey among 11- to 15-year-olds showed that one in five took
drugs in 2003, an increase of one per cent on the previous year.

A quarter of these children drank alcohol regularly, also a one per cent
increase.

Children who drank were taking more than one drink a day. The average
amount drunk each week was 9.5 units.

Regular smoking was down by one per cent to nine per cent.

The survey of 10,000 children in 321 schools covered a full range of
illegal substances, including cannabis, amphetamines, anabolic steroids,
cocaine, crack, ecstasy, glue and solvents.

Cannabis and "poppers" (amphetamines) were the drugs most likely to have
been taken. Eight per cent of children, as young as 11, had taken drugs in
2003 compared with six per cent in 2002.

Drug use rose sharply with age. By the time they were 15, 38 per cent had
taken drugs compared with 36 per cent in 2002. The number of 11-year-olds
offered drugs rose from 16 per cent to 19 per cent.

Martin Barnes, the chief executive of the charity Drugscope, said: "We are
particulary concerned about the small but nonetheless disturbing increase
in the use of volatile substances. Around eight per cent of young people
have used them in the last year."

Last year UKP15.2 million was given to the Education Department for drug
education and prevention projects. This has been reduced by UKP1 million.

Tim Loughton, the shadow health secretary, said: "It is unsurprising that
the Government is losing the war against drugs when funding to support drug
education and prevention has been cut by almost UKP1 million."

A Health Department spokesman said: "We are working with the Home Office
and the Department for Education and Skills to reduce drug use and are
looking to create long-term change of attitude, which will take time."

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