Young people in London drink less than those outside the capital, says new report

Young people aged 11 to 15 in London drink less than those elsewhere in the country, says a new report out today from The NHS Information Centre.

Young Londoners are also among the least likely in England to smoke regularly or to misuse drugs.

Eleven to 15-year-olds in the North East are the most likely both to smoke and to drink alcohol. In contrast, they are among the least likely in the age group to take cannabis.

Youngsters in the North West are most likely to take drugs, closely followed by those in Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands.

Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England: findings by region, 2006 to 2008 presents information about smoking, drinking and drug misuse by 11 to 15-year-olds, analysed by Government region, based on data collected over the three years beginning 2006.

It highlights variations between regions in the extent to which young people smoke, drink or took drugs in 2006-08. On smoking, the report shows:

  • 31 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds in London had smoked at least once in their lives – the lowest percentage for the age group of any region in England.
  • London also had the smallest percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who were regular smokers – smoking at least one cigarette a week – five per cent.
  • In contrast, 42 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds in the North East had smoked at least once in their lives – the highest percentage in the country. At ten per cent, the North East also had the highest percentage of 11 to 15 year olds who were regular smokers. On drinking, the report shows:
  • 11 to 15-year-olds in London were less likely to have drunk alcohol than those living elsewhere. In London, 39 per cent had ever drunk alcohol. Elsewhere, the percentage ranged from 51 per cent in the South East to 63 per cent in the North East.
  • Young people in the age group in London were also the least likely to have drunk alcohol in the last week (12 per cent), compared to between 19 and 26 per cent in other regions.
  • Young people in the age group in the North East were the most likely to have ever drunk alcohol: 63 per cent had done so. The North East also had the highest percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who had drunk alcohol in the previous week (26 per cent).
  • The average amount of alcohol consumed by those aged 11 to 15 who had drunk alcohol in the last week also varied by region; it was lowest in London (11.3 units) and highest in the North East (17.7 units). On drugs, the report shows:
  • Of 11 to 15-year-olds, those in the South West were the least likely to have taken drugs in the last year (15 per cent).
  • This contrasted with the North West where 20 per cent of youngsters had taken drugs in the last year.
  • The proportions of 11 to 15-year-olds who had taken cannabis – the most commonly used drug – varied from eight per cent in the North East to 12 per cent in the North West .

Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: “The report shows there are significant regional differences in the percentages of young people who smoke, drink or use drugs.

“It is interesting to note that London has such comparatively low levels of drink, drug and alcohol use among its 11 to 15-year-olds.

“In contrast, youngsters in the North East are more likely than their peers anywhere else in the country to smoke and drink alcohol. However, they are the least likely to take cannabis.”

The report is at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/sdd0608region

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, central, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
  2. The survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England (SDD) has been carried out annually by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) since 2000. It is commissioned by the NHS Information Centre, with support from the Home Office; the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) also has an interest in the statistics. Findings are used to inform policy and monitor progress towards government targets.
  3. The survey uses a two-stage probability sample of schools and pupils, designed to be representative of young people aged between 11 and 15. The sample of schools is stratified by sex of intake and school type. Within these strata, the sampling frame is sorted by local authority. This design does not guarantee a representative sample of schools within all regions and so reliable estimates by region cannot currently be derived from any one year's data. Data from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 SDD surveys were combined for these regional analyses, to increase the sub-samples of schools and pupils within each region.
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