Results of a new survey into cannabis use showed that 1 in 3, 15 year olds has now smoked cannabis. 18% of pupils aged 11 to 18 had taken drugs in the previous 12 months. 13% had tried cannabis in the previous year, by the age of 15, that had risen to 31%. 28% of pupils sold they had been offered cannabis. Harder drugs like cocaine ecstasy and amphetamines had been touted to 1 in 5 schoolchildren. A Dept of Health spokesman said that the no. of pupils taking drugs had decreased slightly from 20% in 2001 to 1870 in 2002. This is all in a survey of 10000 pupils by the National Centre for Social Research and The National Centre for Educational Research.

Source: Survey of 10,000 pupils by National centre for Social Research & National centre for Educational Research. Reported in daily Mail 29 March 2003