Why Say No? Reasons Given by Young People for Not Using Drugs

A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods has been employed in this study in order to assess the impact of a variety of factors on young peoples drug-using behaviour. The focus is on the responses to an enquiry with respondents who had never used heroin, methadone, other opiates, cocaine powder, crack cocaine, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, cannabis, and solvents who were asked for their reasons for this non-use. The data were also analysed to ascertain whether reasons for non-use varied according to age, what respondents thought the effects of the drugs they had never used would be, and how likely they thought it was that they would use them in the year following the interview. No single reason was given by the majority of respondents for the non-use of drugs, but the motive most frequently reported - particularly by older respondents - was a lack of interest in the effects. Younger respondents'reasons for non-use were, overall, related to a fear of drugs and their effects. Most non-users of each substance were convinced they would continue to abstain, even though they perceived the effects of some drugs (particularly ecstasy) to be pleasurable

Substance misuse training among psychiatric doctors, psychiatric nurses, medical students and nursing students in a South London psychiatric teaching hospital

Background: Health professionals play an important role in the detection and subsequent management of individuals who misuse substances. Aim: This article aimed to assess self-reported levels of training received by psychiatric doctors, nurses, medical students and nursing students in a South London psychiatric teaching hospital. Method: Self-completion questionnaire assessing key aspects of training. Findings: We found low overall levels of reported training in substance misuse. Of the reported training received, most was theoretical rather than clinical. The highest level of reported training was in alcohol misuse compared to illicit drug and tobacco misuse. High numbers of respondents reported feeling responsible for helping individuals with substance misuse difficulties but low numbers actually felt skilled to do so, indicating high levels of awareness without the requisite training. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that more resources should be focused on teaching psychiatric doctors, nurses, medical students and nursing students the key issues in substance misuse, and that this training should be clinically grounded, to alleviate the perceived low levels of reported clinical training in this study and the resulting lack of confidence.</p