UK TEENAGERS TOP DRUGS LEAGUE

British teenagers are more likely to have taken illegal drugs than
youngsters anywhere else in Europe.

Nearly 40 per cent said they had tried substances including cannabis and
ecstasy, according to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and
Other Drugs (ESPAD), UK teenagers also topped the league for drinking and
are among the worst offenders for smoking.

The survey questioned 15 and 16 year-old from schools in 30 European
countries.

Sociologist, Dr Martin Plant, co-ordinated the British survey from the
Alcohol and Health Research Centre in Edinburgh, and said figures raided
serious concerns: "36 per cent of teenagers in the UK have admitted taking
illegal drugs at some stage. But I would like a sensible approach because
it is the legal drugs, such as cigarettes and alcohol, which lead to the
most deaths and illnesses among young people.

"If the Government wants to crack down on drugs dealers it should be looking
at the shop keepers who are selling drink and cigarettes to children.

"British families also set a bad example. If children grow up watching
parents drinking and smoking they are likely to copy.

"Teenage drinking has been going up for some time and, even as we see it
begin to level out, it is still serious."

Although the number of teenagers, in Britain, who have taken drugs has
slightly decreased in the last five years, the UK is still top of the list.

UK teenagers topped the drinking league along with those from Denmark, the
Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland and Ireland.