Supporting the health of YOUNG PEOPLE IN HERTFORDSHIRE

Supporting the health of YOUNG PEOPLE IN HERTFORDSHIRE Findings from the Health Related Behaviour Survey 2018 Drug Education and Substances These results were collected from a sample of primary pupils aged 9 to 11 and secondary pupils aged 12 to 15 in Hertfordshire in the spring/ summer terms of 2018. This work was commissioned and co-ordinated by Public Health with Services for Children and Young People. The data will be used to support health promotion activity across Hertfordshire and other County Council work with children and young people. Teachers were informed on how to collect the most reliable data and then pupils completed a version of the questionnaire appropriate for their age group. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils completed the primary version of the questionnaire. Pupils in Years 8 and 10 completed the secondary version of the questionnaire. All were undertaken anonymously. Completed questionnaires were then returned to SHEU in Exeter for Processing. A total of 4976 pupils took part in 35 primary schools and 12 secondary schools in Hertfordshire. Cross-phase data Many of the questions in each version of the questionnaire are identical or very similar. Some of the results of these questions are presented on page 6 of this document, so that behaviour can be seen across the age range. Links It is possible to look for connections between the answers pupils gave to different questions in the survey to look for behaviour profiles. A selection of interesting links is presented on page 7. Reports A full summary report is also available to accompany these themed reports. Reports are also available for each individual school. 4976 young people were involved in the survey: School Year Total Age 9-10 10-11 12-13 14-15 Boys 487 657 833 613 2590 Girls 511 630 707 463 2311 Total 998 1287 1577* 1114* 4976* *75 pupils didn't select male or female Reference sample Hertfordshire data have been compared with the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) wider survey sample where pupils have completed a similar version of the questionnaire. Over 100,000 pupils are involved in this sample and areas include Blackpool, Bedfordshire, Devon, Cornwall, Ealing, East Sussex, Essex, Northampton, Norfolk, Sunderland and Surrey. A set of questions for comparison between Hertfordshire data and the SHEU wider sample can be found on pages 3 and 5. For more details please contact SHEU Tel. (01392 667272) or visit the website www.sheu.org.uk Themed reports. This is number 2 of 4 reports: 1) Relationships & Sexual Health 2) Drug Education & Substances 3) Emotional Health & Wellbeing 4) Healthy Lifestyles

Hertfordshire primary school pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 (ages 9-11) q When asked if their parents/carers know if they drink alcohol, 79% of pupils said that they don t drink alcohol, another 18% said if they did, their parents always knew. ALCOHOL q 45% of pupils said that they have tasted alcohol at some point. 31% of pupils have tasted wine/champagne while 22% have tasted beer or lager and 13% have tasted cider. Don't drink 2% of the sample reported that they at least sometimes drink without their parents knowing. Parents always know Wine/champagne Beer/lager Cider q 11% of pupils said they had tasted spirits, 5% described pre-mixed spirit drinks and 13% said shandy. SMOKING q 1% say they have tried smoking in the past or smoke now. q 4% of pupils said that they have had an alcoholic drink more than just a sip in the last 7 days (5% of boys and 2% of girls said this). Boys who said they had tried smoking at least once: Alcohol drunk in the past week included: Year 5 Year 6 Girls who said they had tried smoking at least once: Wine/champagne Beer/lager Shandy Year 5 Year 6 2

q 1% of Year 6 boys in the survey smoked at least one cigarette during the last 7 days. 63% of boys and 73% of girls say they would like to talk about drugs with their parents, when asked to choose from a list of people. q 2% of primary pupils in the survey said they have used an e-cigarette. SMOKING AT HOME 26% of boys and 23% of girls say their parents/ carers smoke. Boys Girls Boys q 5% of pupils say someone smokes indoors at home in rooms that they use. q 5% of pupils say someone smokes in cars when they are in them too. SUBSTANCES 11% reported they were fairly sure or certain that they knew someone who used drugs that were not medicines. q 27% said they weren t sure and 63% said they didn t know anyone who uses drugs not as medicines. Girls q 48% of pupils said they would like their doctor to talk to them about drugs, 37% said teachers, 21% said school nurse and 14% said visitors in schools lessons. COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE HERTFORDSHIRE 2016 SURVEY AND THE SHEU YEAR 6 REFERENCE SAMPLE q 71% of Year 6 pupils said they would like their parents/carers to talk to them about drugs. 50% of the wider sample who said their parents had talked with them (note - different question). q 41% of Year 6 pupils said that they would like their teachers to talk to them about drugs compared with 18% of pupils in the wider sample who said their teachers had talked with them (note - different question). q 3% of Year 6 pupils in Hertfordshire said they had an alcoholic drink (more than just a sip) in the last 7 days. This compared with the 4% of Year 6 pupils who said the same in the wider sample. q 79% of pupils in Hertfordshire said that they don t drink alcohol. This compared with 89% of pupils who said the same in the wider sample. q 1% of pupils in Hertfordshire said that they have tried smoking in the past or smoke now. This compared with 2% of pupils who said the same in the wider sample. q 27% of pupils in Hertfordshire said that they have a parent or carer who smokes. This compared with 27% of pupils who said the same in the wider sample. q 5% of pupils in Hertfordshire said that a parent or carer smokes in rooms that they use. This compared with 8% of pupils who said the same in the wider sample. q 9% of pupils in Hertfordshire said that they know someone personally who uses drugs compared with 10% of pupils who said the same in the wider sample. 3

Hertfordshire secondary school pupils in Year 8 and Year 10 (ages 12-15) ALCOHOL 17% of secondary aged pupils said that they have had an alcoholic drink in the last week. q This figure increases with age: 8% of Year 8 pupils said that they had drunk alcohol compared with 30% of Year 10 pupils. In 2012 there was an interesting gender difference: in Year 8, slightly more girls than boys said they drank alcohol the previous week but by Year 10, the boys had overtaken the girls. In 2014 and 2016 the proportions are very similar between the sexes. In 2018, boys are edging ahead of girls: 31% of Year 10 boys and 27% of girls, and 8% of boys in Year 8 compared with 7% of girls. For Year 10 pupils, the five most commonly consumed drinks in the last week were (% of whole sample): Year 10 only Boys Girls Beer or lager 14% Spirits 10% Cider 9% Wine 10% Spirits 9% Cider 9% Pre-mixed spirits 4% Pre-mixed spirits 6% Wine 3% Beer or lager 4% For Year 10, the places where alcohol was consumed in the last week were (% of whole sample): Year 10 only Boys Girls At home 20% At home 19% At a friend s or relation s 15% At a friend s or relation s 15% At a club or party 7% At a club or party 7% Outside in a public place 6% Outside in a public place 6% At a pub or bar 4% At a pub or bar 4% SHEU data from across the country shows that the home is the largest single source of alcohol up to the age of 16. q The most common answer for where they usually get/buy alcohol was from their parents. 18% of Year 8 pupils said this compared with 34% of Year 10 pupils. 19% of Year 10 pupils said they usually get their alcohol at parties. Year 10 boys q Most drinking happened on just one day (11% said this). 3% of pupils drank on 2 days and 2% said they drank alcohol on 3+ days the previous week. q 54% of pupils say they never drink alcohol, 25% of the pupils say their parents/carers always know if they drink alcohol. 11% said they usually know but 10% of pupils said their parents never or only sometimes know. 4% of pupils got drunk on at least one day in the last week (9% of Year 10 pupils). q 3% of Year 10 pupils bought alcohol from an off-licence in the last week. 1% of pupils said they bought it in a supermarket. Year 10 girls q 42% of pupils when asked about rules their parents/cares applied to them about drinking alcohol, said no drinking was allowed. q 28% said that some drinking was allowed with a parent/carer. 9% said some drinking was allowed with friends if there was parental supervision. q 9% said unsupervised drinking was allowed so long as they don t get drunk and 2% said they had no limits. q 8% of the pupils said that they knew about a special drug and alcohol service to help young people in their area. There is clearly an amount of unsupervised drinking occurring. 4

SMOKING q 14% say they have tried smoking in the past or smoke now. q There is little difference between the percentage of Year 8 boys and girls having at least tried smoking, but this changes for Year 10: q 5% say they have taken some form of illegal drug within the last month. q The drugs reported as being used most often by Year 10 pupils are as follows: An overview of five common drugs: Year 10 only Been offered Have used in the last month Have ever used Cannabis 35% 10% 16% Nitrous Oxide 9% 2% 3% Ecstasy 8% 0% 1% Cocaine 6% 0% 0% Ketamine 5% 0% 1% Year 8 Boys Year 8 Girls Year 10 Boys Year 10 Girls q 3% in the survey smoked at least one cigarette during the last 7 days. q Half of all regular smokers say they would like to give up smoking. q 16% said they have used an e-cigarette at some point. SMOKING AT HOME q 20% of pupils said their parents/carers smoke. q 14% of pupils said their parents/carers use an e- cigarette. q 6% of pupils say someone smokes indoors at home in rooms that they use. q 6% of pupils say someone smokes in a car when they are in them too. q 75% said that no-one ever smokes at home. 20% said that smoking happens only outside. 4% said smoking happens only in certain rooms and 2% said smokers can smoke anywhere. SUBSTANCES q 34% reported they were fairly sure or certain that they knew someone who used drugs that were not medicines. q In Year 10, 54% of the boys and 56% of the girls are fairly sure or certain that they know someone who takes at least one of the drugs listed in the question. q 18% of pupils have been offered cannabis. q 9% of pupils say they have taken some form of illegal drug. q Therefore, 35% of Year 10 pupils have been offered cannabis but only 16% report taking it. q 6% of pupils (13% of Year 10) said they got/bought them from a friend. q 2% said they got them at a party, 1% said off the street. q 5% of pupils (11% of Year 10) said that they had used drugs and alcohol on the same occasion. q 5% of pupils said that they worry quite a lot or a lot about drugs. COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE HERTFORDSHIRE 2018 SURVEY AND THE SHEU REFERENCE SAMPLE q 30% of Hertfordshire Year 10 pupils said they had an alcoholic drink in the last week. This compared with 18% of Year 10 pupils in the wider sample. q 35% of Year 10 pupils said that they never drink alcohol compared with 40% of pupils in the wider sample. q 16% of Year 10 pupils said that if they drink alcohol, their parents/carers never or only sometimes know about it. This compared with 13% of the Year 10 wider sample. q 15% of Hertfordshire pupils said that they have smoked in the past or smoke now compared with 21% of the wider sample. q 34% of pupils said that they know someone personally who uses drugs listed in the questionnaire compared with 31% of the wider sample. q 9% of pupils said that they had taken at least one of the drugs listed in the questionnaire compared with 8% of the wider sample. q 36% of pupils said that their drugs lessons at school were quite or very useful compared with 44% of the wider sample. 5

CROSS PHASE DATA Questions included in both the primary and secondary versions of the questionnaire q The following is a selection of data relating to the set of questions found in both the primary and secondary versions of the questionnaire. It is always interesting to see how young people change as they grow up but this analysis is also useful because it can raise some important questions for local discussion. ALCOHOL q When asked if their parents know if they drink alcohol, 79% of primary pupils said they do not drink alcohol; this drops to 54% of secondary pupils. q 1% of primary pupils drink without their parent/carers knowledge, ( never or only sometimes knowing); this rises to 10% of secondary pupils. q Pupils who smoked last week: q Pupils who have had at least one alcoholic drink during the last 7 days: q 25% of primary pupils and 20% of secondary pupils say their parents/carers smoke. q 5% of primary pupils said that someone smokes in rooms they use at home, 6% of secondary pupils said the same. q Pupils who said someone smokes in a car when they are in it too: q 2% of primary pupils drank beer in the last week; this rises to 5% for secondary pupils (more boys than girls): SMOKING q 99% of primary pupils said they had never smoked. This dropped to 86% for secondary pupils. q Pupils who smoke or have smoked at least one cigarette: SUBSTANCES q 11% of primary pupils and 34% of secondary pupils said they are fairly sure or certain that they know someone who uses drugs that are not medicines. q Pupils who said they are fairly sure or certain that they know someone who uses drugs: 6

LINKS It is possible to look for connections between the answers pupils gave to different questions in the survey to look for behaviour profiles. The following are just 3 selected questions but any question can be analysed in this way. All differences illustrated below are statistically significant: The first analysis is for primary aged pupils who said they had a parent/carer who smoked compared with those pupils who said their parents/carers didn t smoke. q 52% of pupils who said they had a parent/carer who smoked said they have been bullied at school. This compared with only 43% of pupils who said their parents/carers didn t smoke. Therefore, we can say if your parent/carer smokes you are more likely to say you have been bullied at school. q 55% of pupils who have a parent carer who smokes also said they live with both parents together. This compared with 82% of pupils whose parents/carers don t smoke. Therefore, if your parent/carer smokes you are less likely to live with both parents together. q This group is less less likely to have cleaned teeth at least twice the day before or been to the dentist in the last 6 months. q More likely to drink fizzy drinks and have drunk beer or lager in the last 7 days. q Less likely to eat vegetables on most days or have had 5 portions of fruit and vegetables the day before. q Less likely to have had breakfast at home on the day of the survey. q Less likely to say that parents have rules about what Internet sites they can visit. q They are also more likely to say they know someone who uses drugs (not as medicines). There are a number of connections here that could impact on young people s life chances? The second analysis is for Year 10 boys who said they had used e-cigarettes compared with Year 10 boys who hadn t. q 62% of boys who have used an e-cigarette also said that they smoke or have smoked in the past compared with 12% of boys who haven t used an e-cigarette. Therefore we can say that if you have used e- cigarettes you are more likely to have smoked conventional cigarettes. q 46% of boys who have used e-cigarettes also said that they have used drugs compared with 9% of boys who haven t used e-cigarettes. q Boys who have used e-cigarettes are also more likely to say they drank alcohol in the last 7 days. q This group is more likely to say they met someone in real life who they first met online. q They are more likely to say that they have been involved in a violent incident where a weapon was used/threatened. q They are also more likely to say they know where to get condoms free of charge. q They are more likely to say their parents/carers smoke. q They are less likely to say that they worry about exams and tests but more likely to worry about relationships. q Boys who have used e-cigarettes are also less likely to say they want to stay on in full-time education It is clear that boys who have tried e-cigarettes are also engaging in other risky behaviours. The third analysis is for Year 10 pupils who said they had taken drugs at some point compared with Year 10 pupils who hadn t. q 76% of Year 10 pupils who said they had ever taken drugs also said they had tried smoking in the past or smoke now. This compared with only 13% of pupils who had never used drugs: Used drugs Never used drugs q 63% of pupils who have used drugs also said they have used an e-cigarette compared with 16% of pupils who haven t taken drugs. q Pupils who have used drugs are also more likely to say they have been involved in a violent incident where a weapon was used. q This group is more likely to say they have met someone in real life who they first met online. q They are less likely to say that they have been a victim of violence or aggression in the area where they live. q Pupils who have used drugs are also more likely to say their parents don t know if they have drunk alcohol. q They are more likely to say they have self-harmed. q They are also less likely to say their lessons on drug education were useful. 7

The Hertfordshire 2018 data has been compared with the previous 2016-2008 surveys to look for differences. TRENDS Primary ø 4% of primary pupils in 2018 and 2016 said they drank alcohol last week. This is lower than the 5% reported in 2014. the 8% reported in 2012 and 10% in 2010. All are lower than the 13% who said this in 2008. ö 79% of primary pupils in 2018 said they don't drink alcohol compared with 77% who said this in 2016. 66% said this in 2014. This continues an upward trend from 57% who said the same in 2012, 50% in 2010 and 45% who said this in 2008. ø 25% of pupils said that their parents smoke in 2018 compared with 28% in 2016. This continues the downward trend form 30% in 2014, 31% in 2012, 33% said this in 2010 and 35% in 2008. ô 11% of pupils in 2018 said they know someone who uses drugs. This has ended the downward trend compared with 9% of pupils in 2016, 10% in 2014, 14% in 2012 and 2010. 16% of primary pupils said the same in 2008. Secondary ø 14% of secondary pupils in 2018 said that they have tried smoking in the past or smoke now compared with 16% in 2016. These are much lower than the 21% who said this in 2014 and 31% who said this in 2012 and 2010. 34% of pupils said the same in 2008. ø 20% of pupils in 2018 said that their parents/carers smoked compared with 23% in 2016, 29% in 2014 and 31% in 2012 and 2010 These continue a downward trend from the 34% reported in 2008. ø 17% of pupils in 2018 said they drank alcohol the previous week compared with 14% in 2016 and 18% in 2014. Despite an upward movement this year, it is still much lower than the 25% reported in 2012 and 32% in 2010. 33% of pupils who said they drank alcohol in the last week in 2008. ö 54% of pupils in 2018 said that they never drink alcohol, this is higher than the 53% in 2016 and continues an upward trend from 43% in 2014, 33% in 2012, 29% in 2010 and 27% saying this in 2008. ô 34% of pupils in 2018 said that they know someone who uses drugs (not as medicines) compared with 38% in 2016 and 36% in 2014. These recent figures are still considerably lower than the 45% saying this in 2012 and 43% of pupils who said this in 2010. All are lower than the 47% saying this in 2008. ô 18% of pupils in 2018 and 2016 said they have been offered cannabis compared with 16% in 2014. These compare with the 23% who said this in 2012, 20% of pupils said this in 2010 and 22% in 2008. ð 5% of pupils in 2018 said that they had used alcohol and illegal drugs on the same occasion. This puts an end to the downward trend seen previously. 4% of pupils in 2016 and 2014 said the same. 7% said this in 2012 and 2010. 8% of pupils said the same in 2008. The Way Forward over to you. This work was commissioned and co-ordinated by Public Health with Services for Children and Young People. We are grateful to the teachers, schools, and young people for their time and contributions to this survey. As a result of their work we have excellent data to be used by schools, as well as both statutory and voluntary agencies that support the health of young people in Hertfordshire. This work will inform action plans for joint working between and within organisations involved in improving the health and wellbeing of pupils in schools. The data will be included in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and will also support the County Health and Wellbeing strategy, Hertfordshire's Public Health strategy, the Young People's Substance Misuse Plan and the Sexual Health Improvement Plan. For more information about the survey please contact: Public Health Hertfordshire Hertfordshire County Council Email: PublicHealth@hertfordshire.gov.uk Tel: 01438 844088