Children who have truanted or been excluded from school are much more likely to take drugs, smoke, and drink alcohol, statistics suggest.

A report for the Department of Health shows that 38 per cent of pupils who have truanted in the past were found to have taken drugs in the month before they were interviewed compared to 7 per cent of those who did not truant.

More than half of pupils who had truanted had drunk alcohol in the preceding week compared to 19 per cent of others, while a third of those who had truanted were regular smokers compared to 4 per cent who never stayed away from school without reason. The findings were similar for children who had been excluded at some point in their lives.

However, the report states that it is unclear whether truanting and exclusion makes pupils more likely to take drugs, smoke, and drink or whether those who already did these things were more likely to truant or be excluded.

Pupils who received free school meals were also more likely to be regular smokers and to have recently taken drugs. However they were less likely to have drunk alcohol in the previous week.

The report found that neatly a third of boys and girls aged 11-15 have taken drugs.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/09/63/47/04096347.pdf