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In the UK, there have been several recent (November 07) studies released that show an increasing statistical trend in both drug and alcohol abuse affecting young people and their safety.  As a company, we regularly monitor drug statistics - which we often write about in our drug-aware blog.  The drug abuse statistics below are of particular note, so we have developed a page on our main web site specifically for them:

Drug Abuse Statistics from Auto Trader:

One detailed survey of over 8000 young motorists (aged from 17 to 24) carried out by Auto Trader, which is a UK motoring magazine and website, showed a frightening trend towards driving under the influence of either drugs, drink or both.

In today's drug abuse and binge drinking culture amongst young adults and teenagers it is unfortunately no surprise that the statistics are high.  In fact, as many as 17% of the young motorists surveyed admitted regular use of Cannabis, more alarmingly 12% frequently use the dangerous and addictive class A drug Cocaine, and 10% revealed regular use of Ecstasy.  However, the greater danger comes from upwards of 10% admitting that they regularly drove their cars whilst under the influence of drink or drugs.

When questioned about driving under the influence of substances, over 40% felt fine to drive their vehicles after using illegal drugs and 31% found it acceptable to drive after consuming alcohol.  A high proportion were unaware of the actual legal limits for alcohol consumption when driving and as a result 8% had already been involved in an accident while under the influence, with a further 11% admitting a near miss.

Drug and alcohol abuse statistics in relation to road deaths.

Just over a third of deaths on UK roads are now young people aged 25 or under, so this is without doubt a serious problem. This equates to the death or serious injury of a young motorist or passenger every hour on average across the United Kingdom.

Teenage drug and alcohol use statistics.

Other notable recent statistics include the number of younger teenagers using drink or drugs. Last year one in seven people admitted to Accident and Emergency departments across the UK for alcohol related health issues were under 14 years old - a total of over 2239 cases.

Many have blamed a surge in advertising for alcohol between 3pm and 5pm, which corresponds to when children have come home from school. Of course, the government spend approximately £3.7 million annually on anti-drinking and alcohol awareness campaigns, but this is dwarfed by the estimated £200 million annual spend on advertising by the alcoholic drinks industry.

Drug and alcohol abuse in teens is becoming more of a problem each year as our culture changes.  A key statistic is that the average starting age of Heroin use in many towns and cities in the UK is just 15 years of age - so we have an obvious duty to prevent young people from getting inadvertently caught up in addiction through misguided experimentation.

See also our article entitled Scottish Drug Abuse Statistics.

What can parents do about these drug statistics?

Many parents don't know where to start when considering how to tackle the problem.  So what can be done about this?

Well, many parents aren't aware that home drug testing kits and alcohol test kits are easily available and can be used to act as a deterrent. They can also be used by teenagers as a valid reason why they can't use illegal drugs when under peer pressure. Being able to say "Sorry, I can't take drugs because I get tested at home" really can make a significant difference.

The responsible use of home drug test products (with open communication and co-operation) can play a pivotal role in keeping younger people safe and can help to mend damaged relationships and build trust. Some people wonder whether testing removes trust from a relationship, but we believe that the substance abuse has often already done that and home testing can be used to rebuild trust.

So if you would like more drug information, or to purchase drug or alcohol test kits for use in the home, visit our dedicated home drug test site www.1st-home-drug-tests.com to buy drug tests online.

Alternatively, for employers we have a page specifically for information on random drug testing in the workplace on our drug-aware web site.

 

So why choose Drug-Aware for your Drug Testing requirements? At Drug-Aware, we pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive solution when it comes to drug testing - we even offer training in drug testing and drug awareness. Take a look at all of the additional extras we add as standard!