The following draws on the annual survey carried out for the government of pupils aged 11 to 15 years. The full report, Drug use, Smoking and drinking among young people in England in 209, can be downloaded from www.ic.nhs.uk.
The report is based on a survey of 7,296 pupils aged between 11 and 15 from schools throughout England in the autumn term of 2010.
(Drugs include illegal drugs, volatile substances and other drugs not obtained from a doctor or chemist.)
The Home Office's annual analysis of the British Crime Survey's data on drug use by adults includes sections on young adults (16 to 24 years).
The trends appear to be of a continuing and substantial falls in the proportions who have ever used drugs (down 8% from 1996), those who used last year (9.3% down from '96) and those who say they've used in the last month (8.3% down from '96).
But beneath the trend the sheer scale of drug use becomes clear with the report estimating that 2.6 million (40%) young adults have used illicit drugs at some point in their lives.
For the first time the report has data on drugs that have been recently made illegal, including mephedrone. The survey found that 4.4% of young adults had used mephedrone in the last year the same proportion who had used cocaine. The report goes on to say that over 90% of mephedrone users had used another drug in the last year.
Adfam
Alcohol Concern
Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of School and College Leaders
Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Care for the Family
The Children's Society
Children’s Safety Education Foundation
DrinkAware
DARE UK
Drug Education Practitioners Forum
DrugScope
Drugsline
Hope UK
Coram Life Education
Local Government Association
Mentor UK
NAHT
NASUWT
National Children's Bureau
National Health Education Group
NSCoPSE- the National PSE Association
NSPCC
National Union of Teachers
National Youth Agency
Platform 51
PSHE Association
Re-Solv
the RCN school nurses' forum
Tacade
Voice - the union for education professionals