Dataset Information

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.

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.

SUBMITTER: Midgley LS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6009502 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

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 LS Murphy Simon S Moore Graham G Hewitt Gillian G White James J

BMJ open 20180614 6

<h4>Objectives</h4>To examine whether young peoples' risk of cannabis, mephedrone and novel psychoactive substances (NPS) use is associated with school substance-misuse policy.<h4>Design</h4>A cross-sectional survey of secondary school students combined with a School Environment Questionnaire and independently coded school substance-misuse policies (2015/6).<h4>Setting</h4>66 secondary schools in Wales.<h4>Participants</h4>Students aged 11-16 years (n=18 939).<h4>Results</h4>The prevalence of li ...[more]

PMID: 29903791

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Project description:BackgroundWhilst cannabis commercialization is occurring rapidly guided by highly individualistic public narratives, evidence that all congenital anomalies (CA) increase alongside cannabis use in Canada, a link with 21 CA's in Hawaii, and rising CA's in Colorado indicate that transgenerational effects can be significant and impact public health. It was therefore important to study Northern New South Wales (NNSW) where cannabis use is high.MethodsDesign: Cohort. 2008-2015.SettingNNSW and Queensland (QLD), Australia.ParticipantsWhole populations. Exposures. Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis.SourceNational Drug Strategy Household Surveys 2010, 2013.Main outcomesCA Rates. NNSW-QLD comparisons. Geospatial and causal regression.ResultsCardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal anomalies rose with falling tobacco and alcohol but rising cannabis use rates across Queensland. Maternal age NNSW-QLD was not different (2008-2015: 4265/22084 v. 96,473/490514 > 35 years/total, Chi.Sq. = 1.687, P = 0.194). A higher rate of NNSW cannabis-related than cannabis-unrelated defects occurred (prevalence ratio (PR) = 2.13, 95%C.I. 1.80-2.52, P = 3.24 × 10- 19). CA's rose more potently with rising cannabis than with rising tobacco or alcohol use. Exomphalos and gastroschisis had the highest NNSW:QLD PR (6.29(2.94-13.48) and 5.85(3.54-9.67)) and attributable fraction in the exposed (84.11%(65.95-92.58%) and 82.91%(71.75-89.66%), P = 2.83 × 10- 8 and P = 5.62 × 10- 15). In multivariable geospatial models cannabis was significantly linked with cardiovascular (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, patent ductus arteriosus), genetic (chromosomal defects, Downs syndrome), gastrointestinal (small intestinal atresia), body wall (gastroschisis, diaphragmatic hernia) and other (hypospadias) (AVTPCDSGDH) CA's. In linear modelling cannabis use was significantly linked with anal stenosis, congenital hydrocephalus and Turner syndrome (ACT) and was significantly linked in borderline significant models (model P < 0.1) with microtia, microphthalmia, and transposition of the great vessels. At robust and mixed effects inverse probability weighted multivariable regression cannabis was related to 18 defects. 16/17 E-Values in spatial models were > 1.25 ranging up to 5.2 × 1013 making uncontrolled confounding unlikely.ConclusionsThese results suggest that population level CA's react more strongly to small rises in cannabis use than tobacco or alcohol; cardiovascular, chromosomal, body wall and gastrointestinal CA's rise significantly with small increases in cannabis use; that cannabis is a bivariate correlate of AVTPCDSGDH and ACT anomalies, is robust to adjustment for other substances; and is causal.

Dataset Information

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.

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

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.

Similar Datasets

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