SUBSTANCE USE IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES IN LANCASHIRE, UK - A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS

A self-report questionnaire substance use survey was conducted among a sample of pupils attending special schools for children with emotiona l and behavioural difficulties (EBD schools) in Lancashire, UK. In ord er to determine the relative magnitude of substance use in this group, the data sets were compared with those obtained in a similar survey c onducted about the same rime in mainstream (MS) schools in the same co unty. The comparisons revealed that, in general, EBD pupils were signi ficantly higher current and lifetime users of almost all the substance s investigated, irrespective of gender. They were four rimes more like ly to have tried an illicit substance and five times more likely to be current users of same. Thus, it was concluded that EBD pupils constit ute a higher risk group for substance misuse and therefore deserve gre ater attention in terms of preventative programmes. Suggestions are pu t forward on how substance misuse and other undetected health problems affecting this highly vulnerable adolescent group can be addressed.