Heroes and Villains, 1998

This survey reported on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco among 100 young males aged 12-18 years in the Craigavon area. It was carried out in local schools and youth centres in February and March 1998.

Main findings

92% of those questioned had tried alcohol.
84% were still using alcohol.
54% of the sample said they first tried alcohol between the ages of 11-13 years.
Almost half of current users (43%) drank alcohol once a week, while 8.6% drank more than once a week.
The research showed that Friday and Saturday were the main days when alcohol was consumed.
Over 15% of the respondents spent over £10 a week on alcohol. The biggest proportion of expenditure was in the £5-£10 category, which accounted for 52% of those questioned.
The source of money for the majority of users was their parents (pocket money), employment, or a combination of both.
The drink of choice for the sample included beer (65.6%), fortified wine (56.9%), cider (53.4%) and alcopops (43.1%).
56.9% of the sample chose "I like to get drunk" as their main reason for drinking.

Reference

Brownlow Resource Centre. Heroes and Villains: research report. Tobacco, drugs and alcohol use among young men in Craigavon. Craigavon: Brownlow Resource Centre, 1999.

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