Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 21 April 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 30 April 2004. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Friday, 30 April 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 19th April, Official Report, column 116W, on substance abuse, what mechanisms he uses to gauge the level of misuse of volatile substances by young people. - Inc figures and ref to survey commissioned by the Department of Health, "Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2003" and British Crime Survey.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 19 April, Official Report, column 116W, on substance abuse, what mechanisms he uses to gauge the level of misuse of volatile substances by young people. [168597] Caroline Flint: Information on the use of volatile substances among young people aged 11-15 years is collected in an annual national survey of secondary schoolchildren commissioned by the Department of Health. "Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2003" was based on 10,000 completed questionnaires from 321 schools in England. The survey showed eight per cent reported taking volatile substances in 2003, compared with six per cent in 2002 and seven per cent in 2001. The Home Office also produces its own statistics on general drug usage through its British Crime Survey. The last figures published were for the year 2002-2003.

Secondary information