KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF YOUNG-PEOPLE REGARDING DRUG MISUSE, 1969-94

Objective-To monitor young people's knowledge and experience of illici t drugs between 1969 and 1994 at intervals of five years. Design-The s ame anonymously completed questionnaire was used throughout. Setting-T hree Wolverhampton secondary schools representing three different soci oeconomic groups. Subjects-392 pupils aged 14 to 15 completed the ques tionnaire in 1994. Previous sample sizes were 471 in 1969, 523 in 1974 , 648 in 1979, 540 in 1984, and 380 in 1989. Main outcome measures-Sel f reported levels of knowledge and experience of illicit drugs. Result s-Over 25 years the proportion of pupils who knew someone taking drugs more than quadrupled from 15% (71/471) to 65% (254/392), and the prop ortion who had been offered drugs increased ninefold from 5% (24) to 4 5% (175). Both of these proportions more than doubled over the past fi ve years. In 1994 the proportions of pupils mentioning ''ecstasy'' (me thylenedioxymethamphetamine), amphetamines, and crack cocaine increase d significantly (P<0.01) and the proportion mentioning opiates decreas ed significantly (P<0.01). ''Poppers'' (amyl nitrite) were mentioned f or the first time. ''To feel big, to show off, look grown up'' has con tinued to be the main perceived reason for taking drugs. Television ha s continued to be the main source of information. Conclusions-In the p ast five years in particular young people's exposure to illicit drugs has increased dramatically. Despite more education about drugs, pupils ' knowledge remains limited. Social pressures remain the first perceiv ed reason for taking drugs. The media have a responsibility not to gla morise drugs.