IDLE AND HIGH ON DRUGS? NOT US, SAY TODAY'S YOUTH

Everyone knows what modern young people are like. They live for the moment,
drink heavily and are into drugs. Born into an uncertain world, they are
reluctant to plan for the future.

That is the stereotype. However, a special YouGov survey for The Telegraph
shows it to be almost entirely inaccurate.

Today's young man or woman leaving school and moving into work or higher
education is far from feckless.

The average young person is sober, career-minded and disinclined to
experiment with any drug stronger than cannabis. Few complain of being badly
educated.

Older generations have been despairing of "modern youth" at least since the
time of Plato. Evidently they are as wrong today as they ever were.

YouGov sought the opinions of 17 to 22-year-olds on matters ranging from
their career prospects to their use, if any, of hard drugs. It turns out
that most young people face the future with confidence and will probably
lead conventional lives.

Almost three-quarters say they have a good job or will get one in the near
future. Moreover, they do not expect to spend the rest of their lives
wandering aimlessly from one job to another.

A large majority expects to pursue a career and one in 12 - mostly girls and
young women - expects to concentrate on being a parent and homemaker. Almost
three-quarters positively look forward to enjoying whatever work they take
up.

A few admit to heavy drinking but about half say they drink very little or
not at all.

As for illegal drugs, 40 per cent confess to experimenting with cannabis but
more than half say they have never used any banned substance and 86 per cent
say they are not regular drug users.

One cloud over young people - especially those in higher education - is
debt. Forty per cent say they are worried about their ability to repay.

In many cases, their debts are substantial. More than a third of YouGov's
respondents have debts of UKP1,500 or more and 10 per cent owe UKP10,000 or
more.