Tracking youth substance use in Swansea Dr Steve Case

The context: HYPE Helping Young People through Peer Education Programme developed in two Swansea secondary schools since 2004 Train peer educators to provide information and support Partnership between Swansea Substance Misuse Action Team, Swansea YOT, South Wales Police, secondary schools and Swansea University Anecdotal evidence of effectiveness from young people participants

Youth substance use in Swansea Limited evidence of the extent and nature of substance use by year olds in Swansea No standardised database or data collection process Self-report substance use inventory (SUI) would inform the development, targeting and evaluation of local substance use prevention and treatment strategies and services Fits with WAG policy documents such as Hidden Harm (2006), the All Wales School Liaison Programme (2005), the All Wales Youth Offending Strategy (2004)

The inventory technology Administered using ‘Leapfrog’ package Responses entered using bluetooth handsets ‘Family Fortunes’ style voting pads Multiple simultaneous completion Immediate download into Excel ‘Anonymous’ and Confidential

Longitudinal tracking of youth substance use Never conducted in the UK All year eight pupils in purposive sample of four Swansea secondary schools Annual administration in December Self-report inventory of substances pupils per year New year eight intake added each year Access and permission facilitated by existing working relationships and data sharing protocols between partner agencies

Proposed analysis SPSS descriptive analysis of patterns and trends in youth substance use SPSS inferential analysis of between- and within- group differences in the extent and nature of substance use and the use of specific substances Year two onwards – consult with colleagues as to appropriate statistical package for storing and analysing the longitudinal data PhD studentship – co-ordinate SUI and supplement with qualitative measures