Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among teenagers in the Isle of Man

Abstract

Aim: This paper describes the findings from a survey of self‐reported alcohol, tobacco and drug use among 721 school students aged 15 and 16 years living on the Isle of Man.Design: This venture was part of the 2003 European School Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, an international survey in 35 countries.Setting and participants: School survey of whole population aged 15 years (n = 721) on the Isle of Man.Measurement: Three hundred and eighty core item questionnaire.Findings: Over 95% of all respondents had consumed alcohol at some point during their lifetime and 78% had experienced being drunk. Twenty‐two per cent had smoked cigarettes on more than 40 occasions, with girls much more likely than boys to smoke. Around 40% had tried an illicit drug at some time, mainly cannabis.Conclusions: Binge drinking and tobacco use in Manx teenagers, especially young women, needs careful monitoring and clearly requires a vigorous public health response.