CYP Now - Substance Use and Antisocial Behaviour in Adolescence

Researchers from University College London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies analysed data from the Millennium Cohort Study. This study collected information from nearly 10,000 people across the UK on a range of risky behaviours – including antisocial behaviour – when participants were 17 years old in 2018/19. Data on some of those behaviours had also been collected at ages 11 and 14.

Research found the use of cannabis and harder drugs increased sharply from age 14 to 17. Picture: Ikon Photography

SUMMARY

The data showed 83 per cent of 17-year-olds said they had tried alcohol. This was a substantial increase from age 14 when 48 per cent said they had tried alcohol, up from 13 per cent at age 11. Just over half – 53 per cent – of the sample had taken part in binge drinking at least once by the age of 17, up from around 11 per cent a few years before. The frequency of binge drinking – having at least five drinks on at least 10 occasions in the past year – had also risen, from 0.5 per cent at age 14 to nine per cent at 17.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included