Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among teenagers in the Isle of Man

Powell, Jane; Plant, Martin; Steriu, Andreea; Miller, Patrick

Abstract

Aim: This paper describes the findings from a survey of self-reported alcohol, tobacco and drug use among 721 school students aged 15 and 16 years living on the Isle of Man. Design: This venture was part of the 2003 European School Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, an international survey in 35 countries. Setting and participants: School survey of whole population aged 15 years (n = 721) on the Isle of Man. Measurement: Three hundred and eighty core item questionnaire. Findings: Over 95% of all respondents had consumed alcohol at some point during their lifetime and 78% had experienced being drunk. Twenty-two per cent had smoked cigarettes on more than 40 occasions, with girls much more likely than boys to smoke. Around 40% had tried an illicit drug at some time, mainly cannabis. Conclusions: Binge drinking and tobacco use in Manx teenagers, especially young women, needs careful monitoring and clearly requires a vigorous public health response. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2006
• Journal: Journal of Substance Use
• Print ISSN: 1465-9891
• Electronic ISSN: 1475-9942
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14659890500114367
• Keywords: island, teenagers, alcohol, licit and illicit drugs
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1041242
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14659890500114367
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Drawing upon survey data, this paper reports the findings from the 2003 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) in the Isle of Man. This international public health survey reports every four years on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs use and attitudes to risk of school children.