joint strategic needs assessment foundation profile - JSNA

Interative Hull Atlas: www.hullpublichealth.org/Pages/hull_atlas.htm More information: www.jsnaonline.org and www.hullpublichealth.org
8.9.1.3 Young People
The Young People Health and Lifestyle Survey 2008-09 asked pupils if anyone had
offered or encouraged them to try any drugs in the last three months, and if they had
ever used or tried any drugs.
Around 1 in 10 pupils reported they had been offered or encouraged to try drugs in the
last three months (Table 156), 9% of boys and 11% of girls. Percentages increased
with school year with the exception of year 7, where higher percentages reported being
offered or encouraged to try drugs than in year 8. It is not clear whether this reflect the
reality or whether there were some comprehension issues around what constituted
illegal drugs among these pupils. In either case, the numbers are relatively small.
By year 11, almost 1 in 5 pupils reported they had been offered or encouraged to try
drugs in the preceding three months, again slightly higher in girls. In years 7 and 8
larger percentages of boys reported being offered or encouraged to use drugs, while in
years 9 to 11, the percentages were higher among girls.
Table 156: Has anyone offered or encouraged you to try any drugs in the last three
months, by gender and school year
School
year
Has anyone offered you or encouraged you to try drugs in
the last three months?
Males Females All
N % N % N %
Year 7 16 6.0 14 5.0 30 5.4
Year 8 9 3.9 9 3.4 18 3.6
Year 9 20 8.8 30 13.0 50 10.9
Year 10 32 11.5 43 14.3 75 12.9
Year 11 30 18.5 50 19.8 80 19.3
Years 7-11 107 9.2 146 11.0 253 10.1
The types of drugs that pupils reported being offered or encouraged to try are presented
in Figure 146 restricted to pupils in years 9 to 11. The drug that pupils most commonly
reported they were offered or encouraged to try was cannabis which 13% of girls and
more than 8% of boys reported being offered or encouraged to try. The next most
common was ecstasy for girls and cocaine for boys, each around 2%. The underlying
data for this figure is given in the APPENDIX on page 885.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Foundation Profile – Hull Health Profile: Release 3. March 2011. 370