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Title:
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People, 2008

Subject Categories:
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People - Major studies
Consumer behaviour - Economics
Drug abuse, alcohol and smoking - Health
Youth - Social stratification and groupings

Depositor(s):
National Centre for Social Research

Principal Investigator(s):
National Centre for Social Research
National Foundation for Educational Research

Sponsor(s):
Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Abstract:
The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People survey series began in 1982, under the name Smoking among Secondary Schoolchildren. The series initially aimed to provide national estimates of the proportion of secondary schoolchildren aged 11-15 who smoked, and to describe their smoking behaviour. Similar surveys were carried out every two years until 1998 to monitor trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking. The survey then moved to an annual cycle, and questions on alcohol consumption and drug use were included. The name of the series was accordingly changed to Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young Teenagers to reflect this widened focus. Since 1998, surveys have been carried out annually, with a core section of questions included on smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked in the last week; drinking status and amount of alcohol drunk in the last week; and awareness and use of drugs. For the 2000 survey, the series title again changed, to Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People. The Department of Health commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to conduct the 2000 survey in England, and an equivalent survey was also conducted in Scotland. From 2005, the Information Centre for Health and Social Care (a newly-formed government special health authority) took over from the Department of Health as sponsors of the survey series.

In alternate survey years, beyond the core questions, the remainder of the questionnaire focuses on either smoking and drinking or on drug taking. The 2001, 2003 and 2007 surveys focused mainly on drugs, and the 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 surveys focused mainly on smoking and drinking. It should be noted that the UK Data Archive (UKDA) holds the survey only from 1988 onwards.

The survey series also acts as an official measure of progress towards targets for reducing smoking and drug use among young people. The current target for reducing children's smoking was set in a 1998 government White Paper, Smoking kills (CM 4177), and is measured against a 1996 baseline for 11-15 year olds. The target is to reduce smoking among children from 13% to 11% by 2005, and to 9% or less by 2010. A later document, the Updated drug strategy - what's new, published in December 2002, reasserted the Government's commitment to reducing drug use among young people, with a new emphasis on vulnerable young people. Key performance targets are measured by this survey series against a 1999 baseline for 11-15 year olds. These include reducing the use of Class A drugs and the frequent use of any illicit drug amongst all young people under the age of 25, and especially by the most vulnerable young people.

In some years, the surveys have been carried out in Scotland and Wales, as well as England, to provide separate national estimates for these countries. In 2002, following a review of Scotland's future information needs in relation to drug misuse among schoolchildren, a separate Scottish series, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS - held at UKDA under SN 33354) was established by the Scottish Executive to replace the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People series there, and to provide information in support of Scotland's new drugs strategy.

Main Topics:
As well as the core questions on smoking, drinking and drug use, the 2008 questionnaire collected more extensive information about smoking and drinking alcohol. This included:

• where pupils get cigarettes and alcohol
• dependence on smoking
• beliefs about smoking
• where and with whom pupils drink
• experience of drunkenness
• the attitudes of pupils and their families to smoking and drinking alcohol
• the impact of school lessons and other sources of information about smoking and drinking alcohol

Coverage:
Dates of Fieldwork: September 2008-December 2008
Country: England
Spatial Units: No spatial unit
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:Secondary school pupils in England, aged 11-15 years, during 2008.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Repeated cross-sectional study
Biannually since 1982, annually since 1999.
Sampling Procedures: Multi-stage stratified random sample
Number of Units: 7,798 pupils and 253 schools
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Self-completion; The policy questionnaire was delivered via face-to-face interview, but pupils were given a self-completion questionnaire.
Weighting: No weighting used.
Data Sources: The NFER database of schools, which contained information supplied by the Department for Education and Skills, was used.

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Access and Preservation, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: help@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 21 September 2009

Copyright:
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland

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