Substance use
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children and Young People's Health Services
Are you worried about substance misuse (including vaping, smoking, alcohol and drugs) being involved in crime or child exploitation?
As you get older you may be around people who are using substances such as drugs and alcohol. You may feel curious about experimenting with these substance or feel pressured to try them. It is important you understand the risks around substance use and how this can affect your health and wellbeing.
It is also important for you to understand the law, how this applies to criminal behaviour in teenagers and young adults and how to protect yourself from exploitation or prosecution.
More about substance misuse
Substance misuse refers to the use of naturally occurring or manmade substances to alter the way you feel or alter the way your mind processes things. This can include caffeine, nicotine, tobacco, smart drugs, prescription medication, illegal drugs, legal highs, use of inhalants and gas (NOS) and alcohol.
While some people might think using substances is fun or a good way to relax it is important to know that use of substances can lead to physical and mental health problems, financial difficulties, a criminal record, dependence and addiction.
People you know might encourage you to experiment with substances which can be difficult to resist, this is called peer pressure. Read more about dealing with peer pressure.
Using substances at a younger age is linked to more serious impact on health.
- 207,000 children aged 11 to 15 start smoking every year (BMJ). Dependency is quick and in a survey by Office of Health Economics, 74% felt they couldn’t give up.
- A 15 year old who is smoking regularly is 3 times more likely to die from lung cancer than someone who starts in their mid-20s.
- Nearly a third of 17 year olds have experimented with cannabis and binge drinking, 1 in 10 young people in the UK have also tried very risky substances such as ketamine, cocaine or heroin.
- Substance use can have detrimental lifelong effects on both the physical and psychological health of young people. Read more about drugs and alcohol.
- The law about consuming alcohol can be confusing but it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18, The Chief Medical officer’s advice is that children under the age of 15 should never use or be given alcohol, and it should only be given to those over 15 with parental/carer awareness and supervision.
It is illegal for under-18s to buy alcohol in the UK. Alcohol can be harmful to children and young people. Health risks include alcohol poisoning, the risk of becoming involved in violence and damage to organs like the brain and liver. Read more about the law on alcohol and under-18s.
Studying for exams and preparing to leave school can be an exciting time but can also be worrying and you could find the changes and responsibility stressful. It’s not uncommon for young people to use substances in response to this, but this is unhealthy.
It’s important for you to develop good skills around managing uncomfortable feelings, sometimes called ‘coping strategies’.
During teenage years it is not uncommon for young people to engage in risky behaviours which might include criminal activity. This could be shoplifting, trespass, criminal damage, drug use, possession or selling of substances or becoming part of organised crime.
While being part of a gang is not illegal, sometimes this can promote criminal activity such as graffiti (criminal damage) or carrying weapons.
If you are caught committing any of these offences there will be some sort of action from the police which might result in a criminal record, referral to the Youth Justice System (YJS) or prosecution. This can in turn have an impact on the future choices available to you and your employment options.
This is a major concern for the police and YJS. Last year, 19,000 children were cautioned or sentenced, 11,000 teens were first time entrants to the YJS and 4,400 knife and offensive weapon offences were registered. It is estimated around 38% of these young people will reoffend.
50% of violent crime in the UK is alcohol or drug related (drug watch foundation, 2021).
This is when an abuser takes advantage of a young person for their own personal gain. This involves committing crimes for the abuser, providing sexual favours for the abuser and friends, trafficking of young people and trafficking drugs across county lines. It is difficult to access precise figures for this, but it is a widespread concern.
If you think you may be a victim of child exploitation or know someone who is, call the police on 101 or in an emergency always call 999.
Being aware of what child exploitation is will help to keep you safe, find out more at:
- County lines: Just the facts - Health for Teens
- Criminal exploitation and gangs - NSPCC
- Child sexual exploitation - NSPCC
- Grooming - NSPCC
Watch these videos about exploitation:
Do your research, look at the web pages and links below, it is always best to be well informed around any decision making. Explore these resources even if you don’t need support - you may be able to support a friend.
Check out our page on keeping safe for more ideas about protecting yourself and your friends.
Don’t be afraid to discuss your thoughts, ask questions or reach out for help from trusted adults and professionals.
Parents
Be a role model; discuss substance misuse, crime and exploitation and be open to talk with your child and answer their questions; try to include these subjects in the talks about moving on from their school; discuss healthy and safe decision making and how to research these subjects.
Look at some of the web pages in the section below, be prepared for difficult discussion and try to keep calm and reasonable:
CASUS
To access support about understanding your substance use and how this is effecting your life or help to reduce or stop your using, you can access CASUS through a self-referral.
You can also be referred by a teacher, health professional, school or support worker with your consent.
CGL (Change, Grow, Live)
Who can help?
For more advice about substance misuse speak to one of our team.
You can Call Us on 0300 029 50 50 or Text Us on 07520 649887 to start a conversation.
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
For help with stopping smoking, call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm and Saturday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
