Young people and drug use

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class="col-lg-8"> <article class="content content_container"> <h1>Young people and drug use</h1> <p><p><strong>Western Australian data shows that only 22% of young people aged 15-24 years reported using illicit drugs in the last 12 months (2019).</strong><strong><sup>[1]</sup></strong><strong> That means 4 out of 5 young people don’t use illicit drugs - visit the <a data-udi="umb://document/4ad7f6529626489bbd1571d8325ba87a" href="/get-the-facts/drug-use-statistics/" title="Drug Use Statistics">stats page</a></strong><strong> to find out more.</strong></p> <p><strong><iframe width="360" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qUbbU3oZpjY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></strong></p> <p>See <a data-udi="umb://document/d8543f7d40e644c9a1c8e1a47443e82e" href="/about-us/previous-campaigns/little-white-lies/" title="Little White Lies" data-anchor="#"><em>Little White Lies</em></a> for more information on the campaign. </p></p> <div class="accordion accordions" role="tablist" data-track="true"> <h2 class="accordion__header" role="tab" href="#a--Young-people-influence-each-other" id="q--Young-people-influence-each-other" aria-controls="a--Young-people-influence-each-other" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0">Young people influence each other<i class="icon icon--bg"></i></h2> <div class="accordion__panel" role="tabpanel" id="a--Young-people-influence-each-other" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"> <p>Compared to adults, young people’s decisions are more likely to be influenced by their peers.<sup>[2]</sup> They tend to over-estimate how many other young people use drugs.<sup>[3]</sup> If young people believe their peers are using alcohol and other drugs, it can influence their own personal use.<sup>[4]</sup> Young people are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs if they think other people their age are (even though their peers might inflate how often they use, or tell little white lies about using at all).<sup>[4, 5]</sup> That’s why it’s important for young people to know the <a data-udi="umb://document/4ad7f6529626489bbd1571d8325ba87a" href="/get-the-facts/drug-use-statistics/" title="Drug Use Statistics">real stats</a>.<sup>[4]</sup></p> </div> <h2 class="accordion__header" role="tab" href="#a--Social-norms-" id="q--Social-norms-" aria-controls="a--Social-norms-" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0">Social norms <i class="icon icon--bg"></i></h2> <div class="accordion__panel" role="tabpanel" id="a--Social-norms-" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"> <p>Young people are likely to make friends and be in a friendship group with those who share similar attitudes, personality traits and behaviours.<sup>[5]</sup> Within any group are there are ‘unwritten rules’, known as social norms, that influence how people behave based on their shared beliefs.<sup>[6,</sup><sup>7]</sup> These can include beliefs around how many peers use drugs (whether that perception is correct or incorrect) and how acceptable drug use is.<sup>[4]</sup> Many young people worry about how they are viewed by their peers, overestimate how much others are concerned with them, and are more likely to take risks in the presence of their peers. All of these factors can indirectly pressure at person to act the same as the others within the group (or, to act in line with the ‘social norms’ of the group).<sup>[5]</sup> This highlights how social norms within a group can contribute to young peoples’ decisions about drug use;<sup>[2, 5]</sup> In fact, a young person’s beliefs about peer drug use is a primary factor in a their own decision to try and/or continue to use drugs.<sup>[8]</sup></p> <p>That’s why it’s so important for young people to have access to factual information about how many people their age <strong><em>don’t </em></strong>use drugs. Drug Aware’s <a data-udi="umb://document/d8543f7d40e644c9a1c8e1a47443e82e" href="/about-us/previous-campaigns/little-white-lies/" title="Little White Lies" data-anchor="#">Little White Lies</a> campaign aims to correct misinformation around young people and drug use, help young people make informed decisions and not feel pressured to use just because they think ‘everyone else is doing it’. Visit the <a data-udi="umb://document/d8543f7d40e644c9a1c8e1a47443e82e" href="/about-us/previous-campaigns/little-white-lies/" title="Little White Lies" data-anchor="#">campaign page</a> for more information and campaign materials.</p> </div> <h2 class="accordion__header" role="tab" href="#a--References" id="q--References" aria-controls="a--References" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0">References<i class="icon icon--bg"></i></h2> <div class="accordion__panel" role="tabpanel" id="a--References" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"> <ol> <li><span>Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, <em>National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019, state and territory factsheets, table s.28</em>, in <em>Drug Statistics series </em>2020: Canberra </span></li> <li><span> Duffy, C. and C. Smith, <em>Community Attitude Research on Alcohol and Other Drugs</em>. 2017, Snapcracker Research and Strategy,.</span></li> <li><span> Hall, W.D., et al., <em>Why young people's substance use matters for global health.</em> Lancet Psychiatry, 2016. <strong>3</strong>(3): p. 265-79.</span></li> <li><span> Debenham, J., et al., <em>A pilot study of a neuroscience-based, harm minimisation programme in schools and youth centres in Australia.</em> BMJ Open, 2020. <strong>10</strong>(2): p. e033337.</span></li> <li><span> United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, <em>Drugs and associated issues among young people and older people</em>, in <em>World Drug Report - Drugs and Age </em>2018, United Nations.</span></li> <li><span> Huba, G.J. and P.M. Bentler, <em>The role of peer and adult models for drug taking at different stages in adolescence.</em> Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 1980. <strong>9</strong>(5): p. 449-465.</span></li> <li><span> Elster, J., <em>Social Norms and Economic Theory.</em> Journal of Economic Perspectives, 1989. <strong>3</strong>(4): p. 99-117.</span></li> <li><span> Debenham, J., et al., <em>Alcohol and other drug prevention for older adolescents: It's a no brainer.</em> Drug Alcohol Rev, 2019. <strong>38</strong>(4): p. 327-330.</span></li> </ol> </div> </div> <div class="grid"> <div class="grid-section"> <div > <div class='container'> <div class="row clearfix"> <div class="grid__col-sm-12 column"> <div > <p>Last updated: July 2021</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="info-bottom"> <div class="container"> <div class="info-bottom__img"> <img src="/images/info.png?v=6f329d1182bb7a3a6a0cc5ca546080d5" alt="Looking for info about the effects of specific drug"> <a href="/get-the-facts/drug-types/" title="Drug Types" class="button">Find it here</a> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <footer class="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-6 footer-hide-mobile"> <h6>Popular Topics</h6> <nav class="footer__nav"> <a href="/popular-content/?tag=Drug Testing">Drug Testing</a> | <a href="/popular-content/?tag=Staying Safe">Staying Safe</a> | <a href="/popular-content/?tag=Cannabis">Cannabis</a> </nav> </div> <div class="col-md-6"> <nav class="footer__social"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Drug-Aware-179203535459418/" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/facebook.png?v=c9c8d1a767763ec2d8858402df5e7ec8" srcset="/images/facebook.png?v=c9c8d1a767763ec2d8858402df5e7ec8, /images/facebook.png?v=c9c8d1a767763ec2d8858402df5e7ec8 2x" alt="Facebook link icon"> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DrugAware1" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/twitter.png?v=aac1898a63552649cd4f31dade2685b5" srcset="/images/twitter.png?v=aac1898a63552649cd4f31dade2685b5, /images/twitter.png?v=aac1898a63552649cd4f31dade2685b5 2x" alt="Twitter link icon"> </a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DrugAwareCampaign/videos" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/youtube.png?v=dd6d925a4f822487f532d80681dc5a50" srcset="/images/youtube.png?v=dd6d925a4f822487f532d80681dc5a50, /images/youtube.png?v=dd6d925a4f822487f532d80681dc5a50 2x" alt="Youtube link icon"> </a> </nav> <div class="footer__menu"> <ul> <li> <a onclick="ReloadLink(this);" href="/get-help/how-to-get-help/#Alcohol-and-Drug-Support-Line" target="_self">Alcohol and Drug Support Line</a> </li> <li> <a onclick="ReloadLink(this);" href="/disclaimer/" target="_self">Disclaimer</a> </li> <li> <a onclick="ReloadLink(this);" href="/privacy/" target="_self">Privacy</a> </li> </ul> </div> <script language="javascript"> function ReloadLink(obj) { location.replace(obj.href); location.reload(true); } </script> </div> </div> </div> </footer>  <script> $(document).ready(function () { if ($('#nhsd-widget').size()) { $(function (d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.apiKey = '2049b67a8813409aa6ae0ecb3a6f735e'; js.src = 'https://widgets.nhsd.com.au/nhsd/widget/modular/web/widget.js'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'nhsd-wjs')); } }); </script> </div> <div class="cookies-container js-cookies-container"> <p>This website uses cookies and third-party services.</p> <button class="js-btn-accept-cookies">Accept</button> </div> </body> </html>

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