RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE WESTMINSTER SUBSTANCE USE QUESTIONNAIRE AMONG LANCASHIRE ADOLESCENTS

The reliability and validity of the Westminster Substance Use Question naire (WASQ) was examined in a pilot study involving a sample of secon dary school pupils in Blackburn borough, Lancashire, UK. The questionn aire performed well on all the indices tested and the findings of the exercise facilitated a fairly accurate and meaningful interpretation o f the prevalence data obtained in the main study. The instrument is th us recommended for use in adolescent substance use surveys in the UK a nd elsewhere although further validation or slight modification may be necessary to suit local needs.