DRUGS are becoming more socially acceptable and widely available among Scotland's teenagers, a survey of the country's school children has revealed.
Experts expressed concern at the findings of the major study which uncovered significant changes in attitudes to illicit substances over only two years and a reversal in a long-standing trend of declining popularity.
The survey of more than 25,000 secondary school children found that only 48 per cent of 15-year-olds now believe all people who sell drugs deserve to be punished - a drop of 11 per cent since the same question was asked 24 months previously - while half did not agree that drug taking is "stupid".
Almost a quarter of 15-year-olds thought it was 'OK' for someone their age to take cannabis, a rise of seven per cent in two years, although sniffing glue and taking cocaine was deemed far less acceptable. Only 54 per cent of 15-year olds agreed with the statement 'taking cannabis is dangerous', while 25 per cent described it as 'false' and the rest did not know.
The softening in attitudes to banned drugs comes as they become more widely available to Scotland's youth. One in five 13-year-olds and 42 per cent of 15-year-olds said they had been offered drugs, increases on the previous study. While cannabis remains the most common drug, 17 per cent of 15-year-olds said they had been offered ecstasy, a figure that has almost doubled in two years.
Overall, five per cent of 13-year-olds and 19 per cent of 15-year-olds reported having ever taking drugs, a figure that has remained fairly stable although the proportion of S4 boys who took drugs within the last month increased. Nearly 80 per cent of 15-year-olds who regularly take drugs do not want to stop using them.
The rise in the acceptance and availability of drugs among teenagers came as better results were noted in similar surveys on alcohol and tobacco use. Fewer pupils than ever before reported having had an alcoholic drink while the proportion of 15-year-olds smoking regularly fell two per cent between 2013 and 2015.
David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said that young people living in poverty were more likely to be vulnerable to substance abuse and expressed worry that a long-standing reduction in drug use among teenagers, seen over the last decade-and-a-half, seemed to have halted.
He added: "There seems to be a significant increase in drug use in 15 year old boys... the reasons for this would be difficult to discern. In drug terms, this is a reversal of recent trends and should be a matter of some concern. Recently we have been concerned about substance use in looked after and accommodated young people and in young people affected by homelessness."
Since the last time the survey was carried out, it was found that far more teenagers have used e-cigarettes. It was found that 15 per cent of 13-year-olds and almost a third of 15-year-olds had tried them, although only one per cent and 3 per cent respectively were regular users.
The Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey questioned 25,304 pupils at 264 schools. The survey found all pupils with poor mental health, illness or disability were also more likely to smoke, drink or take drugs.
Aileen Campbell, the public health minister, insisted the findings were "encouraging" with teenage drug, alcohol and tobacco use "among the lowest levels recorded by the survey" which was UK-wide and taken over by the Scottish Government in 2002.
She added: "The drop in drinking, smoking and drug use in recent years is testament to the significant work being done around the country with young people to promote positive alternatives to substance use.
"Drug taking in the general population is falling and among young people the levels are stable and very low. The majority of pupils have never used drugs - 95 per cent of 13-year-olds and 81 per cent of 15-year-olds.
"We have an ambitious programme for substance misuse education to ensure that all young people in Scotland have credible and accessible information and advice on drugs, to help them make the right choices."
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