Response to HSCIC’s report on numbers of young people who have tried alcohol, smoking and drugs

 
Issued by City of York Council

City of York Council have issued a statement in response to the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s report Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, City of York Council’s Director of Health and Wellbeing said: “City of York Council welcomes the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s (HSCIC) latest report which highlights the lowest number of 11-15 year olds who have ever tried drugs in England as being from Yorkshire and Humber.

“Only 15% (1394) of young people in Yorkshire and Humber have ever tried drugs.

“City of York Council’s Children and Young People’s Services work with various partners across the city including schools, health services, police and the youth service to help advise and educate young people on their use of and attitude towards alcohol, smoking and drugs.

“Children and Young People’s Services provide support and guidance for schools across the city through the PHSE in the curriculum and have been, amongst other things, commissioning Theatre in Education sessions on smoking and alcohol for the last three years, which continue to evaluate well.

“The Council is trying to establish a local picture of the number of young people who have been offered or have tried cigarettes, drugs and alcohol through the new Year 10 well being survey that is being piloted in schools.

“This will provide us with data and information to inform the work we will undertake in schools and through community settings in the future.”

Atlas (Lifeline), the specialist young people’s substance misuse service commissioned by the council provides training to the city’s workforce about young people’s substance misuse.

This includes basic drug and alcohol training, an initial assessment to help those working with young people to identify when experimentation with drugs and alcohol becomes problematic and an early intervention is required.

The training also helps to identify the impact of substance misuse on young people and communities and promoting recovery from substance misuse. This training is open to any agency in the city working with children and young people.

For more information about training email the council, telephone 01904 553017 or go to the York Workforce Development website.

If you are concerned that a child is at risk of significant harm telephone the CA&A service on 01904 551900 or email the council’s child protection team.

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