The Blueprint Drug Education Research Programme, run by the Home Office, Department for Children, Schools and Families and Department of Health, found most pupils paid little attention to health implications or the impact on others. They focused instead on immediate personal consequences, particularly "loss of face with peers or negative self image".
The findings are likely to shape the government's new drugs strategy, which is due to be published in early 2008.
A Home Office spokesman said: "It is essential that policies have a sound evidence base and this highly detailed research helps ensure that we can build on these achievements."
The Blueprint programme combines school-based education with parental involvement, media and community action and health policy.
Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope, said it was essential that drugs education challenged the idea of illegal drug use as normal.
"We need to make sure school drugs education is fully supported, but must not over-estimate what schools can achieve. There needs to be a broad spectrum of intervention and the drug strategy must be connected with other programmes like tackling child poverty and support for Sure Start," he said.
The research also found parents can be hard to engage, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Out of 3,602 parents invited to attend Blueprint launch events only 307 attended - amounting to six per cent. The response rate then worsened as the programme progressed.
The research is one of a series of drug-related reports that help inform government policy.
- www.drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-events/latest-news.
