Inner-London young people are the least likely in England to use drugs or alcohol, with children in suburban or rural areas reporting higher levels of substance misuse, a new Ofsted study reported in the Guardian has found.
The study gives each local authority a score against five key indicators: the levels of reported drug and alcohol use by children, their emotional health, levels of bullying, participation in sports and activities and how satisfied young people are with their access to parks and play areas.
Scores are based on the responses from 150,000 ten to fifteen year-olds who participated in Ofsted’s annual ‘Tellus3’ survey, published in October last year. Each area’s drug and alcohol score is derived from children’s responses to questions on how often they used drugs or solvents, or drunk alcohol.
Inner-London’s rating for drug and alcohol use is 6.1 compared with 10.9 nationally (a lower score is better). Figures for London suburbs are higher, with leafy Richmond upon Thames scoring 13.4.
In contrast, the North-East and North-West of England have the highest level of reported drug and alcohol use with St. Helens having the worst rating in the country of 17.7.
Other key findings from the study are:
- Children in the North of England report higher levels of happiness and wellbeing based on the quality of their friendships.
- Reported levels of bullying are highest in the South East and South West.
- London children report having the best access to play areas and parks.
