Background Information:

What’s in a name?
A wide range of slang terms are used for drugs. Some of these are specific to different parts of the country. It is important that young people are clear about exactly what any drug or substance is and what the effects of taking it are. For up-to-date information on drugs, drug categories, short- and long-term effects and legal issues, visit the Links section.

UK’s increasing alcohol consumption
A recent study (2003) of 32 accident and emergency departments in the UK revealed four out of ten people seen on Saturday night and Sunday morning had been involved in alcohol-related incidents, often a violent assault or drink-driving incident. Alcohol is recognised by doctors as a growing problem among young people, especially young women. The alcohol problem in the UK, where one-third of men and one-fifth of women drink above recommended levels, is recognised as much bigger than the drug problem. There has been a:

• 25% increase in alcohol-related deaths in the last 10 years
• 32% increase in alcohol misuse among young males aged 18–24 in the last 12 years
• 70% increase in alcohol misuse by young women aged 18–24 in the last 12 years

When alcohol is cheap and readily available it’s often the first thing people turn to when they have a problem, or in the case of young people when they feel the need to boost their confidence or to escape. Gradually they can become dependent. The drinks industry spends vast sums annually on marketing alcoholic drinks, particularly to young people.

There are calls for a national alcohol strategy in the UK. The Cabinet Office is drawing up an action plan. Some pressure groups would like to raise the legal age of drinking to 21, ban certain forms of advertising and raise the price of alcohol. There is also a fear that 24-hour continental-style licensing could make matters worse.

Ecstasy – A teen perspective
In September 2002 there was considerable alarm when a research report revealed that a single night on ecstasy might cause brain damage and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. It now appears the findings were wrong as the monkeys used in the research were given a different drug by mistake. Ecstasy’s impact on the brain appears subtle, and studies often report conflicting results. Unless researchers acknowledge these in their papers they risk misleading the public, damaging the credibility of scientific research and being ignored in the future.

Governments and anti-drug campaigners can be tempted to use the results of research that supports their agenda while ignoring criticism of the work the results come from. If scientists or authority figures tell young people something which doesn’t match their own experience they will question it, and have the perfect excuse to ignore future warnings.