A report analysed data from the 1998-99 Youth Lifestyles Survey (a representative sample of young people aged 12 to 30 living in England and Wales), focusing on the occurrence and timing of young people s first use of various types of illicit drugs. It found little or no evidence for the gateway hypothesis - that the use of drugs such as cannabis increases the risk of future use of more harmful drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.
Source: Stephen Pudney, The Road to Ruin? Sequences of initiation into drug use and offending by young people in Britain, Research Study 253, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2002-Dec
The government published an updated drugs strategy, with a tougher focus on Class A drugs, a stronger focus on education, prevention, enforcement and treatment, and more resources (planned direct annual expenditure for tackling drugs will rise from 1.03 billion in 2002-03 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2004-05 - an increase of 44 per cent). At the same time it dropped three of the four previous targets of its strategy, including those for halving the availability and use by young people of heroin/cocaine and cutting levels of drug-related crime by 50 per cent.
Source: Updated Drug Strategy 2002, Home Office (with six other government departments), available from prolog.uk.com (0870 241 4680) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 3.12.02, columns 73-74WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Press release | Hansard | Independent article
Date: 2002-Dec
Two leading charities urged the withdrawal of proposals in the Criminal Justice Bill allowing for compulsory drug testing and treatment of children, arguing that they would infringe a child's right to liberty and protection from inhuman and degrading treatment.
Source: Press release 17.12.02, Children s Society (020 7841 4415) and DrugScope
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
Full results were published from a survey of drug misuse, smoking and drinking among secondary schoolchildren aged 11-15 in England. In 2001, 29 per cent of pupils reported that they had ever tried one or more drugs. Although it was not possible to compare this figure with previous survey results in the series (due to changes in the structure and wording of questions), the authors said the survey responses suggest that the increase in drug taking reported between 1998 and 2000 probably continued into 2001.
Source: Richard Boreham and Andrew Shaw (eds.), Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among Young People in England in 2001, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DH press release | Guardian analysis
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/3, Digest 119, paragraph 6.4
Date: 2002-Dec
Two surveys found that drug and alcohol use among young people in Northern Ireland is continuing to rise.
Source: Robert Miller and Lizanne Dowds, Drug and Alcohol Use Among Young People in Northern Ireland: A Secondary Analysis of Drug and Alcohol Use Surveys, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500) | Statistics from the Northern Ireland Drug Misuse Database: 1 April 2001 31 March 2002, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety/Northern Ireland Executive
Links: Report (pdf) | Statistics (pdf)
Date: 2002-Nov
Schools need to do more through drug education programmes to help pupils to develop personal values and skills in order to make sensible choices, according to a report by the schools inspectorate.
Source: Drug Education in Schools: An update, HMI 746, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123, paragraph 6.5
Date: 2002-Nov
Information was published on drug misuse among young people under 25. Among those aged 11-15 in England in 2001, 20 per cent reported using drugs in the last year; among those aged 16-24 in England and Wales in 2000, 29 per cent reported doing so.
Source: Press release 25 July 2002, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: DH press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 6.6
Date: 2002-Jul