Drink and drug abuse widespread among pupils

LONDON (Reuters) - About one in seven school children have tried illegal drugs while one in five regularly get drunk, a government survey revealed on Friday.

The online survey, TellUs2, found a significant level of drinking, smoking and drug taking among some of the 111,000 secondary school youngsters in England who took part.

It discovered 48 percent of all the children aged between 10 and 15 had had an alcoholic drink, and 19 percent said they had been drunk at least once in the previous four weeks.

Sixteen percent of the 14 and 15 year olds who responded claimed to have drunk alcohol three or more times during the month.

The survey, carried out by Ofsted, also found that one in five of all children, 21 percent, had smoked a cigarette, rising to 41 percent for 14 to 15 year olds.

About 15 percent of children aged between 12 and 15 said they had tried drugs, mostly cannabis.

Three percent of all children surveyed said they had used other drugs such as cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, heroin, speed or magic mushrooms.

Tim Loughton, Conservative Party spokesman on children, said: "These findings are more evidence of our broken society."

The survey, developed jointly with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ipsos MORI, is the first of its kind.

About a third of the respondents said they had been bullied at least a couple of times in the previous four weeks, but 57 percent of pupils said they thought bullying was handled well by schools.

The biggest worry on the minds of children was exams, 51 percent, followed by friendships, 39 percent, school work, 35 percent, being healthy, 32 percent, and their future, 30 percent.

Carried out between April and June, it also included positive responses to health and education.

More than 85 percent of respondents considered themselves to be healthy, 73 percent said they took part in regular sports or physical activity and 65 percent had helped raise money for charity or a local group.

They said they wanted more advice on healthy eating, 20 percent, and sex and relationships, 37 percent, as well as better information when planning their future, 55 percent.

Christine Gilbert, Ofsted's chief inspector, said: "We now urge policy makers, local authorities and schools to look hard at the findings and use them to influence their plans and actions."

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Considering the pressures young people face in today's society this survey indicates they are coping reasonably well with managing their lives."

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Jeremy Lovell)