Substance abuse by children and young people

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Abstract
Use of illicit substances by significant numbers of young people has been of concern for at least a generation in Western Europe and North America.1 This is reflected in official statistics, police sources and surveys, and particularly school based anonymous self-reports that have shown a substantial increase in consumption over that time with a further surge during the 1990s.1 In addition, the rates of substance use (alcohol and drugs) in the UK currently outstrip those reported elsewhere in Europe.2 Furthermore, there is now evidence of illicit substance use by significant numbers of pre-adolescent UK children;3 up to 5% of preteens currently report use of illicit substances and an appreciable number hard drugs such as heroin; apparently an entirely new development.