TEENAGERS from all schools in the Island will soon take part in a survey about drug use.
The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) is about to launch its 2011 questionnaire and once again 15 and 16 year olds are being asked to take part.
The Isle of Man results for the last survey, conducted in 2007, didn't make positive reading.
It showed 93 per cent of students who took part in the survey had been drinking alcohol during the past 12 months and almost two-thirds, 61 per cent, had been drunk during the same period.
The estimated consumption of alcohol on the 'latest drinking day' was the second-highest among the countries included in the survey.
The percentage of those questioned who had smoked cigarettes in the 30 days before the survey was 24 per cent, which was slightly below average.
One third, 34 per cent, of the students said they had used cannabis during their lifetime and the proportion reporting use of drugs other than cannabis - 16 per cent - was more than twice the mean.
Use of inhalants, at 17 per cent, was also about twice the ESPAD average, and the same was true for the use of pills in combination with alcohol (12 per cent).
Non-prescription use of tranquillisers or sedatives at seven per cent, was about average.
In terms of this year's survey Department of Education and Children chief executive officer Stuart Dobson said: "ESPAD Isle of Man operates under the partnership of three government departments and work is overseen by the Isle of Man ESPAD Steering Committee.
"Letters with details about this year's survey will soon be sent out from the Department of Education and Children to all parents of those invited to take part, that is all 15 to 16 year olds in the Island's schools.
"The 2011 survey must end before the Easter holidays. National reports will be made available by the end of 2011, followed by the publication of the international report by mid-2012."
Mr Dobson added: "ESPAD has assisted us in improving education programme curricula and has allowed the government and third sector to prioritise the work in the area of lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and the use of illicit drugs.
"A fourth new area will be looked into for the first time and that is the impact of the internet use in this age group.
"There is a lot of work around intervention of a preventative kind and to establish the right educational programme in the schools and community."
Home Affairs department member Bill Malarkey MHK said: "The ESPAD study is important to government as it helps us plan for the future especially during these challenging financial times.
"Pupils should be encouraged to participate and to give honest answers as it is important we get accurate statistics.
"We will then understand what happens and as a result ensure that resources are distributed equally across the population and the communities in the Isle of Man.
"The Isle of Man ESPAD works with a dedicated multi-disciplinary team on the ground. The principal investigator ensures that each member of the team carries out the tasks in the right order, within the current research governance, that means with the correct application of data protection and ethical laws right across participating departments and the schools."
A total of 40 countries will take part in the survey.
For more details see: www.espad.org
