Multilevel population-based cross-sectional study examining school substance-misuse policy and the use of cannabis, mephedrone and novel psychoactive substances among students aged 11-16 years in schools in Wales

Midgley, Luke S, Murphy, Simon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-3681, Moore, Graham ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6136-3978, Hewitt, Gillian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7946-4056 and White, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8371-8453 2018. Multilevel population-based cross-sectional study examining school substance-misuse policy and the use of cannabis, mephedrone and novel psychoactive substances among students aged 11-16 years in schools in Wales. BMJ Open 8 (6) , e020737. 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020737

Preview

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (260kB) | Preview

Abstract

Objectives To examine whether young peoples’ risk of cannabis, mephedrone and novel psychoactive substances (NPS) use is associated with school substance-misuse policy. Design A cross-sectional survey of secondary school students combined with a School Environment Questionnaire and independently coded school substance-misuse policies (2015/6). Setting 66 secondary schools in Wales. Participants Students aged 11–16 years (n=18 939). Results The prevalence of lifetime, past 30-day and daily cannabis use was 4.8%, 2.6% and 0.7%, respectively; lifetime prevalence of mephedrone use was 1.1% and NPS use was 1.5%. Across 66 schools, 95.5% (n=63) reported having a substance-misuse policy, 93.9% (n=62) reported having a referral pathway for drug using students, such that we were insufficiently powered to undertake an analysis. We found little evidence of a beneficial association between lifetime cannabis use and involving students in policy development including student council consultation (OR=1.24, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.73), other student consultation (OR=1.42, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.14) or with the use of isolation (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.43), with similar results for cannabis use in past 30 days, daily and the lifetime use of mephedrone and NPS. The School Environment Questionnaires found that 39.4% (n=26) schools reported no student involvement in policy development, 42.4% (n=28) reported student council consultation, 18.2% (n=12) used other student consultations and 9.7% (n=3) mentioned isolation. The independently coded content of policies found that no school policy recommended abstinence, one mentioned methods on harm minimisation, 16.1% (n=5) policies mentioned student involvement and 9.7% (n=3) mentioned isolation. Conclusions Policy development involving students is widely recommended, but we found no beneficial associations between student involvement in policy development and student drug use. This paper has highlighted the need for further contextual understanding around the policy-development process and how schools manage drug misuse.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Centre for Trials Research (CNTRR) Medicine Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group: Open Access / BMJ Journals
ISSN:	2044-6055
Funders:	Medical Research Council
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	15 June 2018
Date of Acceptance:	17 May 2018
Last Modified:	21 Apr 2024 17:03
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/112501

Citation Data

Cited 3 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item