The latest wave of the Government’s Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England (SDD) is taking place in secondary schools across the country now. The survey has run almost every year since 1982 and provides national statistics to help monitor trends in underage risky behaviour, monitor the impact of policy initiatives, and provide insight into what motivates young people to smoke, drink or take drugs. The latest wave of the survey includes new questions to monitor high-priority health concerns, including the growing use of e-cigarettes and so-called ‘legal highs’ (also known as New Psychoactive Substances). The findings are used across central and local government, as well as by charities and industry, to help protect young people. Researchers at Ipsos MORI and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) are contacting schools now to ask them to participate in the study during the autumn term of 2016. In total, over 500 schools are being approached with the aim of 250 taking part. In schools that take part, three class groups of pupils are selected to complete a questionnaire during one of their lessons. The intention is to collect data from over 17,000 pupils in Years 7 to 11 in total.
Please lend your support to the survey by encouraging schools in your area to participate: you could do this by emailing schools a copy of this information or sending them the letter which can be found here. Schools can find out more information by contacting Olivia Michelmore at SDDsurvey@ipsos.com or on 0207 347 3172 or by visiting the study website.
Key findings from the latest wave of the study, conducted in 2014, are illustrated below.
More detailed findings can be seen at: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/1006810/Smoking-drinking-drug-use-2014.pdf
