Report shows fall in child smoking, drinking and drug use

There has been a fall in the proportion of schoolchildren who smoke, drink or take illegal drugs, new figures show.

A report by the NHS Information Centre reveals that, in 2009, 22 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds had tried drugs. This compares with 29 per cent in 2001.

Twenty-nine per cent of schoolchildren polled in 2009 said they had tried smoking, down from 53 per cent in 1982.

And the percentage of children who have ever had an alcoholic drink has fallen from 61 per cent in 2003 to 51 per cent in 2009.

However, the report also reveals that smoking, drinking and drug use all become more common as children get older.

For instance, one per cent of 11-year-olds said they had smoked in the week prior to the survey, compared to 20 per cent of 15-year-olds.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, commented: 'The survey tracks the changing behaviour and attitudes of young people with regard to smoking, drinking and drug use.

'It provides insights and data that staff at the frontline will find helpful when planning services.'

According to the 2004 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, children who drink alcohol before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop an alcohol problem than those who start after the age of 21.