Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) is the primary source of data on substance using behaviour among young people in Scotland. SALSUS comprises a long running series of national surveys of young people's substance use. From 1982 to 2000 these surveys were carried out jointly in Scotland and England to provide national information on smoking behaviour (from 1982), drinking behaviour (from 1990) and drug use (from 1998). In 2002, Scotland introduced its own (SALSUS) survey which provides national policy makers with vital information to help develop and evaluate policies to reduce the prevalence of substance use in Scotland and to monitor progress towards achieving Scottish Government targets. Every four years the survey also provides information on substance use for local areas. These data are used to help inform local service planning, for example, to develop Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) strategic and delivery plans and to monitor progress towards achieving a number of the ADP core indicators. All SALSUS datasets are available via the UK Data Archive. Further information about the series is available from the NHS National Services Scotland Information Services Division SALSUS webpage and from the Scottish Government SALSUS webpages. August 2013: Variables excls1-4, covering school exclusions in years 1-4 were removed from the 2002, 2004 and 2006 data at the request of the NHS National Services Scotland's Caldicott Guardian.
The 2006 SALSUS survey broadly replicates the design of the previous surveys in 2002 and 2004, where S2 and S4 pupils were asked to complete a paper questionnaire during class time. Pupils were on average 13 years old in S2 and 15 years old in S4. Therefore in the context of the reports and data, those in S2 are referred to as '13 year olds' and those in S4, '15 year olds'. The questionnaire asked pupils about smoking, drinking and drug use as well as various lifestyle factors, including attitudes towards school. The 2006 survey, like that of 2002, was conducted on a large enough scale to provide local as well as national data. See documentation for further details.
Main Topics:
Topics covered in the 2006 survey include:patterns of smoking, drinking and drugs useavailability of tobacco, drugs and alcoholfamily attitudes to smoking and alcoholfamily and friends' smoking behaviourtruancy and exclusion from schoolleisure activities
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
Self-completion
