Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS): drug use report 2018

1 Introduction and background

This report presents the drugs findings from the 2018 wave of the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS). The research was commissioned by the Scottish Government and carried out by Ipsos MORI Scotland.

Survey background

SALSUS is a continuation of a long established series of national surveys on smoking, drinking and drug use. These were carried out jointly in Scotland and England between 1982 and 2000, to provide a national picture of young peoples' smoking (from 1982), drinking (from 1990), and drug use (from 1998) within the context of other lifestyle, health and social factors. Since 2002, Scotland has developed its own, more tailored survey known as SALSUS.

Survey purpose

SALSUS informs progress towards Scottish Government policies to reduce the harms from smoking, drinking and drug use among children and young people.

The survey series also provides local prevalence rates for smoking, drinking and drug use across Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), local authorities and NHS Boards.

Policy background

It is a Scottish public health priority to reduce the harm from drugs^[2]. In November 2018, the Scottish Government published its combined alcohol and drugs treatment strategy, Rights, Respect and Recovery^[3], aimed at improving the nation's health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths. It emphasises prevention and early intervention for young people and for those most at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs.

The strategy's commitments include: identifying and implementing actions to reduce inequalities; developing recovery oriented systems of care; getting it right for children, young people and families; and taking a public health approach to addiction. The strategy also challenges services to better meet the complex health and social needs of those who are most at risk as a result of their substance use.

The strategy will be delivered in partnership with Scotland's 31 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), including health boards, local authorities, police and voluntary agencies. The Scottish Government has announced a commitment of £20 million per year until 2021, to allow ADPs working in local areas across Scotland to fund treatment and support services.

There is an ambitious programme for alcohol and drug education currently in place to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland have credible and accessible information and advice on drugs. The Scottish Government has implemented health and wellbeing learning outcomes through Curriculum for Excellence^[4], which includes specific emphasis on substance use. Learning in this area is aimed at promoting confidence, independent thinking and positive attitudes. It also aims to promote risk and resilience management skills in children and young people that equip them to make positive lifestyle choices.

Rights, Respect and Recovery commits to revising that programme of alcohol and drug education in schools and to developing guidance and resources that will provide accurate, evidence-based, relevant and current information around alcohol and drug use, and how to access help.

Further information about policy relating to drugs is available at:

• NHS Health Scotland: http://www.healthscotland.scot/health-topics/drugs
• Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs

Methods

SALSUS is a self-completion survey administered by teachers in a mixed ability class, under exam conditions. In the past the survey has been completed on paper, but in 2018 schools were given the choice to complete the survey online or on paper.

A random, nationally representative sample of S2 and S4 pupils in Scottish schools was drawn with classes as the primary sampling unit. All local authority and independent schools in Scotland were eligible for inclusion in the sample, with the exception of special schools.

Fieldwork was completed between October 2018 and April 2019. A total of 12,558 S2 and 10,807 S4 pupils responded (including schools that took part in the Realigning Children's Service Survey).

The overall response rate was 52% (excludes schools that took part in the Realigning Children's Services Survey and Glasgow state schools).

Data was weighted by local authority, age, sex, school sector (state/independent), school denomination and by urban/rural classification.

Throughout the report pupils in S2 are referred to as '13 year olds' and S4 pupils are referred to as '15 year olds' for ease. It should be borne in mind that some pupils within these categories may be slightly older or younger.

Some pupils did not answer each question. Where answers are missing, these have been excluded from the analysis and so charts and tables that describe the same population may have varying bases. When differences between estimates are specifically commented on in the report, these differences are statistically significant to the level of 0.05.

Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

For full details of the methodology, please see the SALSUS 2018 Technical Report^[5].

Finally, it is important to note, that while there are associations between many of the behaviours explored in this report, conclusions about causality cannot be drawn.

Changes to the questionnaire

Only minor changes were made to the drugs questions for 2018 (i.e. updating the names of drugs in the solvents and tranquilisers categories) (see Appendix A). For further details on other question changes and survey methodology see the SALSUS 2018 Technical Report. A copy of the full 2018 questionnaire is also available^[6].