New research has found that 7.5 percent of teenagers in Northern Ireland have tried cocaine at least once by the age of 16. The Institute of Child Care Research at Queen’s School of Sociology, Social Policy, and Social Work surveyed 4,000 teenagers in 43 schools in Northern Ireland—participants were surveyed each year since entering post-primary education. This is one of the largest school-based surveys of its kind in the UK or Ireland.

"A small number of those who took part in the survey told us they had tried cocaine at least once. Of those who had taken cocaine, only one in ten used it on a weekly basis. This indicates that while some teenagers have experimented with the drug, few continue to use it regularly,” said Dr. Patrick McCrystal, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Child Care Research.

“While cocaine has only recently emerged on to the Northern Ireland drug scene, this study suggests that it may be making its way into the adolescent drug scene quite quickly. It also indicates that the profile of cocaine users may be changing,” he said.

Dr. McCrystal explained that in the 1990s, the typical cocaine user was single, in their 20s, well educated, and in a well-paid professional job. In this study, however, “more than half of those who had experimented with the drug were females, and one third had experienced social deprivation.” He explained that they were more likely to live with just one parent, have poor levels of communication with parents or guardians, and have low levels of motivation to do well at school. “Most of those who had taken cocaine also regularly got drunk, smoked tobacco daily, and used cannabis on a weekly basis. Two thirds had also used inhalants,” he said.

According to Dr. McCrystal, the study shows that young people can easily obtain cocaine from older friends, a dealer, or friends of the same age. The most common place to obtain drugs was at a friend’s house, whereas previously drugs were mostly obtained on the street or at a party.

“These findings highlight the need to educate young people about the risks and health and social implications of cocaine use while they are still in compulsory education and under the age of 16,” Dr. McCrystal said. “Children and young people must be empowered to refuse an offer of drugs. If and when the opportunity to experiment with cocaine presents itself, they must be well-equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions on drug use.”

The study also highlights a need for a strategy to monitor trends of illicit drug use among young people. Dr. McCrystal said. “If the age of first use of cocaine is becoming younger, or the levels of cocaine use are increasing, the number of users who are likely to develop problems and place demands on drug treatment centres will increase in the future. This is something that health, social care, and education policy makers should take note of."