According to the Department of Health survey Smoking, drinking and drug misuse among young people in England in 2002, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and the National Foundation for Educational Research, drug taking by 11- to 15-year-olds fell slightly from 20 per cent to 18 per cent between 2001 and 2002, while it remained stable at around 30 per cent for 16- to 24-year-olds.
Cannabis is still the drug of choice for the younger generation, the survey found, with 13 per cent of 11- to 15-year-olds and 27 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds using it.
Roger Howard, chief executive of DrugScope, believes that while the figures are encouraging, they don't reflect the whole story. "The statistics show that the overall usage of drugs has fallen," he said. "However, these figures can be misleading. A far more realistic measure would be to look at the numbers of young people who have taken drugs in the past month, which has remained stable at around 11 per cent."
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