Young Scots Substance Use Fell in 2013 Says Survey: The number of Scottish young people drinking, smoking and taking drugs has dropped to its lowest ever level, according to new research findings released as part of the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (Salsus).

Young Scots Substance Use Fell in 2013 Says Survey

In 2010, more than a third (34%) of 15 year olds said they had recently drunk alcohol, a figure which fell to less than one in five (19%) in 2013. For children aged 13, the figures fell from 14% to 4% in the same time period – putting them at the lowest levels since 1990.

In terms of smoking, the research suggests that around one in ten (9%) 15 year olds in Scotland is a regular smoker, with the figure falling to 2% among 13 year olds. These are the lowest levels since 1982 and represent a fall since 2010 from 13% and 3% respectively.

The use of illegal drugs (i.e. cannabis) has also fallen – down from 11% to 9% between 2010 and 2013 among 15 year old respondents. In addition, four fifths (82%) of 15 year olds and the vast majority (96%) of 13 year olds said they had never used drugs. This is the highest proportion saying this since the survey began in 1998.

Findings from the survey also showed that almost a fifth (17%) of 15 year olds and 7% of 13 year olds had tried an e-cigarette. Dr Peter Bennie, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland, suggested that the government should look at implementing tighter controls on e-cigarettes to ensure they do not reinforce the normality of smoking behaviour. He suggested that the sale of e-cigarettes should be limited to individuals over the age of 18, and that guidelines should be put in place to ensure that they were not heavily marketed at young people.