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14 Oct 2008, Time:09:12
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Alcohol and other Drugs
Alcohol is very much a part of British life, and for most adults, it is a pleasant part of socialising and relaxing. Some people also see drugs in this way. But however commonplace drugs and alcohol are, there are some risks associated with taking them:
- Some drugs are illegal, and you can get into trouble if you are found in possession of them.
- If you are under 18, you can also get into trouble for drinking.
- Some drugs,including alcohol and tobacco are bad for your health and can cause illness, accidents and even death.
- Once you start using some drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, it can be hard to stop, even if you want to.
- People behave differently when they have been drinking or taking some drugs, and may do riskier or more dangerous things than usual.
- You do not know what is in illegal drugs, and even if you have taken a drug before, it may affect you differently another time.
- Even prescription drugs (for example pain killers or sleeping pills) can be dangerous, and shouldn’t be taken except by the person they are prescribed for, and following the instructions.
- Volatile substances (solvents such as lighter fuel or glue) are extremely dangerous when misused and account for more deaths of young people than illegal drugs.
However, many people do use drugs and alcohol safely, and most young people grow out of taking drugs. Very few people go on to develop addictions to drugs like heroin or cocaine.
- 11% of 12-13 year olds in Wiltshire report taking illegal drugs or solvents. This rises to 34% of 14-15 year olds
- 21% of Wiltshire secondary school pupils have taken an illegal drug and/or solvents at least once.
- Of illegal drug use by school aged young people in Wiltshire, at least 90% is cannabis use.
- 45% of young people in Wiltshire (aged 9-11) had had at least one drink of alcohol in the last week.
- 56% of young people in Wiltshire (aged 14-15) had had at least one drink of alcohol in the last week.
- 10% of primary pupils have only ever tried smoking once or twice, this rose to 25% for secondray school pupils.
- 16% of secondary pupils smoke regularly. Of these 12% want to give up and 4% don’t want to give up.
Source: “Health Related Behaviour Survey, Wiltshire 2002". For further information on this national survey: Schools Health Education Unit.
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