Martin Plant

Drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use among 15 and 16 year olds in the United Kingdom

Abstract Objective: To examine patterns of self reported drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use among a representative United Kingdom sample of people born in 1979. Design: Cross sectional, single phase survey based on a stratified cluster sample of 70 United Kingdom secondary schools during March and April 1995. Pupils completed a 406 item standardised questionnaire under examination conditions. Setting: United Kingdom state and private secondary schools. Subjects: 7722 pupils aged 15 and 16. Main outcome measures: Reported use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Results: Almost all the pupils had drunk alcohol, 36% (2772/7689) had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days, and 42.3% (3264/7722) had at some time used illicit drugs, mainly cannabis. 43% (1546/3546) of boys and 38% (1529/4009) of girls had tried cannabis. Higher levels of smoking were associated with poorer school performance (20.4% (783/3840) with average performance v 44.1% (214/486) with below average performance, F = 79.06, P<0.01). Levels of drug use in 15 and 16 year olds in 1995 were higher in Scotland than in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Conclusions: Drug experimentation was high among 15 and 16 year olds, and use of cannabis was particularly high among smokers. Cigarette smoking was more common among girls than boys. Key messages More than 40% had tried illicit drugs at some time, mainly cannabis. This represents a sharp increase over the past five years Just over one third of the sample had smoked cigarettes in the previous 30 days and cigarette smoking was higher among girls than boys Higher levels of drug use were associated with poorer school performance Levels of illicit drug use tended to be higher in Scotland than in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland

Binge Britain: alcohol and the national response.

This book combines the analysis of UK alcohol policy from historical, contemporary and comparative perspectives. It highlights recent evidence produced by the authors which has revealed an unprecedented rise in heavy drinking amongst young women. It reviews of the role of alcohol in Britain examining why our drinking culture is maintained, including the power of the alcohol industry and development of recent policy.

Alcohol, sex and risks of HIV infection

A complex association between alcohol consumption and sexual behaviour has long since been established. During 1985 a survey of 335 young adults was conducted in South East Scotland. Information was elicited about sexual behaviour, alcohol and other psychoactive drug use. The results indicate that amongst both males and females, age of first sexual intercourse was positively associated with age of first alcohol use, as well as with current use of tobacco and illicit drugs. Respondents who had consumed alcohol immediately prior to first sexual intercourse were markedly less likely than others to have used condoms or other forms of contraception. It is concluded that the use of alcohol and other drugs has clear relevance to unprotected sexual activities and the spread of HIV infection. Future health education should give due weight to this connection.

Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst nurses: A Scottish study

This paper examines patterns of self-reported alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst a representative sample of 600 qualified nurses in the Lothian Region of Scotland. General levels of alcohol use were not exceptional. Even so, levels of tobacco smoking and the use of illicit drugs were higher than for the general population. Female psychiatric nurses were significantly more likely than female medical or surgical nurses to smoke tobacco, to drink heavily and to have experienced adverse alcohol-related consequences.

Regional variations in British alcohol morbidity rates: a myth uncovered? II: population surveys.

Regional variations in officially recorded rates of alcohol related morbidity in Britain were investigated by surveying community drinking habits of a randomly selected sample of adults in the Highlands, Tayside, and part of the South East Thames region. Contrary to expectations, patterns of alcohol consumption did not differ in a manner consistent with the much higher rates of alcohol related problems recorded in the north.

Abstaining and carousing: substance use among adolescents in the Western Isles of Scotland

An account is presented of a survey of self-reported substance use among 839 adolescents in the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) of Scotland. The study group was aged 13-16. The drinking habits of those surveyed were extremely polarised. Results showed that while only 81.2% had ever used alcohol, nearly 40% of males and a third of females reported having consumed at least 11 units of alcohol on their last drinking occasion. Levels of tobacco and illicit drug use were less striking: 21.4% considered themselves current smokers, while fewer than one-quarter had ever used illicit drugs or solvents. Results are related to recent UK surveys of adolescents and to the distinctive culture of the study area. It is concluded that the polarisation of youthful drinking in the Western Isles poses special problems in relation to the provision of alcohol education.

Regional variations in British alcohol morbidity rates: a myth uncovered? I: Clinical surveys.

Officially recorded rates of many alcohol related problems are much higher in the north than in the south of Britain. To try to shed some light on this the pattern and threshold for use of psychiatric and medical hospital services for alcohol dependence, abuse, and psychosis were studied in three areas differing greatly in official rates of alcohol related problems--namely, the Highland and Tayside regions in Scotland and part of the South East Thames region in England. The disparity in psychiatric admissions for alcohol dependence, abuse, and psychosis were found to be largely explained by admission policies which reflected geographical factors. The results of this study did not support the conventional view that rates of treated morbidity due to alcohol are appreciably higher in the north.

Licit and illicit drug initiations and alcohol-related problems amongst illicit drug users in Edinburgh

A non-random study group of one hundred and fifteen regular illicit drug users were interviewed in Edinburgh between January and July 1988. It was found that initiation to the use of alcohol and tobacco generally preceded the first use of illicit substances. The circumstances of initiation to alcohol use often differed from those of initiation to an illicit substance. Results from the first phase of this longitudinal study also indicate that the majority of current users of illicit drugs have experienced a wide range of problems attributed to alcohol consumption. Opiate users in particular, reported experiencing alcohol-related trouble with the police, being involved in alcohol-related violence and being banned from premises due to their drinking.

Risk of HIV infection among clients of the sex industry in Scotland.

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Gender Differences for the Risk of Alcohol-Related Problems in Multiple National Contexts

The primary research question asked is: After holding alcohol consumption constant, will men and women be at equal risk for a variety of alcohol-related problems? Since women are actually at a higher blood alcohol content at the same consumption levels, a physiological argument would suggest that women are at equal or greater risk for alcohol problems than men. However, variation in societal norms surrounding gender roles and/or societal-level stress may mediate the experience of men and women, regardless of the differences in physiology. Ten cross-sectional general population studies are used. Analyses control for individual-level variables (age, quantity, and frequency of drinking) and societal-level variables (proportion of women in the work force and female suicide rate) that might confound these relationships; cross-study homogeneity is examined.