Drugs and young people at school

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Drugs and young people at school

• Tim Morrison
• www.alcohol-drugs.co.uk
• In association with DrugScope

This presentation and handout are available
online from www.alcohol-drugs.co.uk at the free
resources page.
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Content

• Definitions of drugs
• Types of drugs
• Who is using them and questions of vulnerability
• The law
• Discussion what is my role
• Published sources of guidance

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A drug is

• Any non-food substance that has an effect on
• The body
• Or
• The Mind

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Prevalence of Drug Use

• 12 of all 16-59 year olds taken an illicit drug
  in the last year (roughly 4 million)
• 3 had used a Class A drug in the past year
  (roughly 1 million)
• Cannabis the most common roughly 3 million
  16-59 year olds have used it in the last year
• People aged between 16-24 more likely to have
  used drugs in last year and last month than older
  people
• Young peoples use of ecstasy, amphetamines and
  LSD has decreased cocaine only drug on the
  increase
• From Home Office Findings 229 Prevalence of
  Drug Use Key Findings from the 2002/2003 British
  Crime Survey

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Main Drug Trends in the UK

• 1980s
• Solvent misuse among young people emerged
• Smokeable heroin (chasing the dragon)
  encouraged earlier
  experimentation
• 1990s
• Ecstasy emerged initially on rave scene, but
  established itself in general youth culture
• Cannabis back into fashion
• Amyl nitrate, GHB and ketamine started becoming
  popular

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Main Drug Trends in the UK

• 2000s
• Cocaine present since 1980s, but falling
  prices increased use in 2000s
• Increase in crack use
• Polydrug use now identified as a specific
  problem
• (From DrugScope DrugLink Guide to Drugs, 2004)

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Geographical Variations in Drug Use in the UK

• London - higher levels of Class A any illicit
  drug use than national average
• East Midlands and Wales - lower levels of Class
  A any illicit drug than national average
• Affluent urban areas - higher levels Class A
  illicit drug use than national average
• Use of any illicit drug highest in inner city
  areas and lowest in rural areas
• From Rebecca Aust Joanne Condon (2003)
  Geographical Variations in Drug Use Key Findings
  from the 2001/2002 British Crime Survey 15/03

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Drug Use and Young People

• 2003 study of young people showed
• 21 pupils taken drugs in last year
• 12 of pupils taken drugs in last month
• 9 pupils aged 11-15 were regular smokers
• Proportion of pupils who drank in last week was
  25
• From Drug use, smoking and drinking among young
  people in England in 2003. National Centre for
  Social Research/ National Foundation for
  Educational Research.

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Drug Use and Young People - 2003

• 11-16 year olds
• 8 of 11 year olds had used drugs in last year
  compared with 38 of 15 year olds
• Cannabis most widely used drug (13)
• 1 had used heroin in last year
• 1 had used cocaine in last year
• 4 had used Class A drugs

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Drug Use and Young People 2003

• 16-24 year olds
• Cannabis most widely used drug (26)
• 5 had used ecstasy in last year
• 5 had used cocaine in last year
• 4 had used amphetamines
• 4 poppers
• Less than 1 had used heroin or crack
• From Department of Health Statistics on Young
  People and Drug Misuse England 2003.
  Statistical Bulletin 2004/13

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Crude Drug Classification
Drugs that speed up the central nervous system -
uppers
Hallucinogens drugs that change how the world
seems
Drugs that slow down the central nervous system
downers. Often painkillers
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The CNS

• One of the two major divisions of the nervous
  system.
• Composed of the brain and spinal cord, the
  Central Nervous System is the control network for
  the entire body.

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Factors determining the drug experience
Where I am
Who I am physically psychologically tolerance
What I expect/ want to happen
The substance and how it is administered
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Modes of usage

• Ingestion
• Injection
• Inhalation/ smoking
• Snorting/ absorption through membranes

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The Uppers

• Cocaine
• Amphetamines
• Caffeine
• Nicotine

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Physiological Effects

• dry mouth,
• sweating,
• loss of appetite
• increased heart and pulse rate.
• higher dose - may feel very anxious and panicky

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The nice bits (uppers)

• Confidence
• Sense of arousal
• Energy
• Feeling focussed
• Faster thinking
• Suppressed appetite

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Consumer comment on cocaine

• "It makes you feel great and powerful and all
  that.
• The trouble is it can make you really wired. And
  it doesn't last that long so the temptation is to
  have another go. That's why I found it so moorish
  and it cost me a fortune".

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The downers

• Alcohol
• Opiates
• Tranquilisers
• Volatile substances

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Physiological Effects (downers)

• System slowing down
• Slurred speech
• Lethargy/ drowsiness
• Loss of inhibitions
• Hallucinations with some (glue in particular)

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The nice bits (downers)

• Relaxation
• Drowsiness
• Nice pink fluffy clouds
• Decreased anxiety or stress

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Consumer comment (heroin)

• "It is probably one of the most pleasurable
  experiences I've had. All the pain goes. All the
  anger is gone. I was lying on the sofa floating
  happily. It makes you feel safe and warm like
  being wrapped up in a blanket".

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The hallucinogens

• LSD.
• Magic mushrooms.
• Ecstasy and cannabis are hallucinogenic
  stimulants.

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Physiological effects

• Dizziness
• Some paralysis
• Anxiety/ fear (the bad trip)
• Mood alteration

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The nice bits (hallucinogens)

• Altered consciousness
• Detached from self
• Spiritual experiences)

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Is chocolate a drug?

• Its theobromine and caffeine content produce a
  mildly stimulating effect.
• The sugar it is cut with gives an energy boost.
• Many people report chocolate bingeing and talk
  of being addicted to it.
• Chronic chocolate use is associated with may
  health problems.
• Chocolate is now a banned substance in English
  schools where it cannot now be sold

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Consumer comment (hallucinogens)

• "My very first trip was lovely. The flowers were
  out and looked amazing. Everything sounded
  beautiful and crystal clear. I really felt at
  peace with myself and the world around me".

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A drug problem

• The way the drug usage impacts on the health and
  functioning of an individual/ family/ community
  negatively.

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Maslow
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Vulnerability factors

• Physiological factors
• Physical disabilities
• Family factors
• Belonging to families who condone substance
  misuse
• Where there is parental substance use
• Where there is poor and inconsistent family
  management
• Where here is family conflict

• Psychological and behavioural factors
• Mental health problems
• Alienation
• Early peer rejection
• Early persistent behaviour problems
• Academic problems
• Low commitment to school
• Association with drug misusing peers
• Attitudes favourable to drug use
• Early onset of drug or alcohol use
• Economic factors
• Neighbourhood deprivation or disintegration

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Specifically

• Young offenders
• Looked after children
• Young homeless
• Children whose parents misuse drugs
• Young people who truant or are excluded from
  school and
• Young people involved in prostitution.

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Talking about it makes you cool

• Boys are twice as likely as girls to say that
  they have taken drugs when they have not
• 17 of 11-13 year-olds, 21 of 14-16 year olds
  and 22 of over-16 year olds think their friends
  pretend to have taken drugs when they havent

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Vulnerable young people taking drugs

• While those in vulnerable groups re presented
  less than a third (28) of young people in the
  sample, they accounted for more than half (61)
  of Class A drug users in the last year.
• Only 5 of those who were not vulnerable used
  drugs frequently during the past 12 months, while
  24 of those in vulnerable groups were frequent
  drug users in the same period.

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Vulnerable young people taking drugs

• Only 4 of those who were not vulnerable used
  Class A drugs in the last year, while 16 of
  those in vulnerable groups used Class A drugs
  during the same period.

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Vulnerable young people taking drugs

• Young people who were members of more than one
  vulnerable group had significantly higher levels
  of drug use than members of just one vulnerable
  group. For example, frequent drug use in the last
  year for those in more than one vulnerable group
  was 39, compared with 18 for those in just one
  vulnerable group .

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Vulnerable young people taking drugs

• Comparing individual vulnerable groups, those who
  had been in care or homeless had the lowest
  levels of drug use while serious or frequent
  offenders and truants showed the highest levels
  of drug use. For example, Class A drug use in the
  last year was 5 for those who had been in care
  or homeless, 13 for serious or frequent
  offenders and 16 for trua n t s .

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Misuse of Drugs Act - Classes
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Misuse of Drugs Act penalties
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The four parameters the seriousness of use

• The age and maturity of the child and young
  person
• The degree of seriousness of drug misuse
• Whether harm or risk is continuing or increasing
• General context in which drug taking is set

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Child protection concerns

• how the young person is affected by the drug or
  alcohol use of someone else
• because of the pattern of drug or alcohol use of
  the young person
• or
• because the circumstances of the drug use is
  making the young person vulnerable.

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Essential reading

• Drug education in schools A report from the
  Office of Her Majestys Chief Inspector of
  Schools Ofsted July 2005
• Drugs Guidance for schools. Date of Issue
  February 2004 Ref DfES/0092/2004
• Joining Forces Drugs guidance for police
  working with schools and colleges, ACPO 2006
• Drugs Guidance of the Youth Service, DrugScope
  and Alcohol Concern 2006
• This presentation and the associated handout are
  available online from www.alcohol-drugs.co.uk at
  the free resources page.