Most drug users are happy, successful people with a taste for the good life

Most young drug users are not stereotypical sad, lonely losers, according
to a new study. Jason Bennetto and Benjamin Todd examine the findings of a
report that suggests the Government needs to rethink its drugs policy.

Many antidrugs campaigns and education packages are aimed at the wrong
people, often falsely stereotyping young substanceabusers as friendless
junkies with no ambitions.

According to a survey of more than 850 people aged between 16 and 24, and
100 indepth interviews, drug use is commonplace and consumers tend to be
independent, lead active lives, and do not lack selfesteem.

The young people trusted and respected their families in much the same way
as their nondrugtaking contemporaries, disapproved of "out of control"
behaviour by so called "problem" users or addicts, and were no more
fatalistic than other teenagers.

They viewed drugtaking as a vital part of everyday living and were only
slightly more rebellious than other young people.

The report did find a minority of problem users, who fulfilled the
stereotypical Trainspotting image and took a mixture of heroin and
methadone with other drugs.

According to recent reports, one quarter of people aged between 16 and 22
have taken drugs in the last three months. The number of young people
experimenting with drugs has been rising rapidly in the past decade.

The most popular illegal drug by far is cannabis, followed by amphetamine,
LSD and ecstasy. Only a tiny number have taken heroin or cocaine.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundationfunded report, The Substance of Youth, which
was carried out by Demos, the leftwing thinktank, concluded that there
was no single national drugs culture, but different regional trends.

Unemployed recreational drugusers in a rundown district of Manchester
viewed drugs as a substitute for a social life and a means of obtaining
stimulation.

Most users in Kingston, southwest London, Brighton and Leeds, viewed
illicit drugs as a form of relaxation, alongside alcohol.

A student at Kingston University said: "I smoke quite a bit of gear
[cannabis] it relaxes me. It's nicer than alcohol because there's no
hangover and it's a lot more relaxing."

Steve, 18, a firstyear physics student, added: "I don't want to use
anything addictive because if you are addicted you are not in control."

In an old mining village with high unemployment in South Yorkshire, drugs
were considered an important part of the young people's social life "I get
through the day mainly by being druggedup," said John, 18.

There was evidence of young people dropping their habits as they reached
their mid20s, but in Brighton and Kingston, a number of older people
continued. Diane, 39, a post doctoral researcher in pharmacology, said:
"I've been using heroin for 17 years ... Heroin's like a sexual buzz."

Some people did confirm the stereotype druguser. Tez, 22, in Manchester,
said: "I'm sick of pumping heroin. My friend dying [of an overdose] made me
take notice. Not that I'm stupid, but I needed a kick up the arse."

Perri 6, coauthor of the report, said: "One of the things we have to avoid
is a 'one size fits all' national policy."

He said the idea of an authoritarian "war" on drugs and youth culture was
"hopelessly inappropriate".

Instead, young people need information about the risks, which could be
provided at local level, possibly through drug action teams.

The report is available at £13.45 from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Telephone 01904 629241.