Unhappy pupils more likely to be smokers and drinkers

New figures from NHS Digital have revealed that pupils who have recently smoked, drunk alcohol and taken drugs are more likely to be unhappy. Specifically, 51 Percent of young people aged 11 to 15 who had recently drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes and taken drugs reported experiencing low levels of happiness compared to 36 Percent who had recently done just one of these things, and 22% who hadn’t recently smoked, drank or taken drugs. The report, ‘Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People 2018’ also revealed that 2% of pupils had recently smoked, drunk alcohol and taken drugs, 11% had done only one of these recent behaviours, with 84% having done none of these things. Further, the number of pupils that reported having ever smoked dropped from 19% in 2016, to 16% in this survey, making it the lowest rate recorded in the survey and marking a continuing decline from 49% in 1996. There was also a differentiation between classes, as pupils from more affluent families were more likely to have drunk alcohol in the last week: 13% of pupils from the most affluent families compared to 7% from the least affluent families.