Teens to be surveyed on drink and drugs experiences

IRISH teenagers will be asked about their experiences of drink and drugs as part of a Europe-wide survey in schools early next year.

However, it is unclear yet if they will be asked about their use or otherwise of substances sold in head shops, whose operations have been clamped down on by recent legislation but which were hugely popular with teenagers and young adults.

The last European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) research here in 2007 showed dramatic falls in the proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds who had used cannabis (20%) and ecstasy (4%) since 1995. The number who reported having used alcohol in the past fell in the same period from 91% to 86%, below the European average of 89%.