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This report deals with the self-reported alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among a representative sample of 15-16 year old students in secondary schools in Northern Ireland. Information was gathered from a total of 723 students from 71 schools throughout Northern Ireland.¹ Students completed a standardised questionnaire under exam conditions. Data collection took place between March and June 1999.

Summary of findings on drugs:

• Approximately 40% of boys and 30% of girls had used one illicit substance.
• Cannabis was used by 38.3% of boys and 29.9% of girls.
• 13.2% of boys and 4.6% of girls said they had used it 20 times or more.
• Use of other illicit substances was infrequent, the next most common for boys being magic mushrooms, used by 11%, and for girls, Ecstasy (MDMA), used by 6.3%.
• Apart from cannabis, the most widely used substances were volatile substances, which had been used by 27.7% of boys and 23.4% of girls. Ecstasy (MDMA) had been used by 6.5% of boys and 6.3% of girls. Less than 1% of those surveyed reported ever having injected drugs. Moreover, the self-reported use of heroin and cocaine (mostly on very few occasions) was in the region of 2-3% for both girls and boys.
• Nearly half of those surveyed indicated that it would be very easy or fairly easy to obtain cannabis. A high proportion believed the same was true for volatile substances.
• Over 10% of boys and 6.4% of girls reported having experienced some form of adverse effect from their drug use.

To obtain a copy of this report in full go to:
www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/smoking_drinking_teens.pdf

Reference

1. Millar P and Plant M. Drinking, smoking and illicit drug use amongst 15 and 16 year old school students in Northern Ireland, Belfast: DHSSPS, 1999.