New research to help reduce demand for drugs in young people

Four innovative projects have been awarded a total of £1.8m in research funding aimed at helping to reduce drug use among young people. This is the second phase of NIHR’s Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances.

The research projects focus on reducing the use of drugs such as powder cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, and nitrous oxide. The projects will be offering a range of education-based programmes and skills development.

Of the four projects, two have received further funding following on from the first phase of the fund. The other two are newly-funded as part of the second phase. 

The projects include: 

• Research to evaluate educational materials, therapy and a public health campaign aimed at 11-16 year-olds
• Evaluation of a drug education programme created by the charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, aimed at 13-15 year-olds
• Creating a UK version of a drug prevention programme currently in use in Australia, for 15-19 year-olds
• Evaluating a theatre in education programme for 12-14 year-olds - the programme is currently being used by East Sussex County Council 

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that in the year ending 2023, approximately 3.1 million adults reported using illicit drugs within the last 12 months. This research seeks to develop evidence on potential ways to reduce demand for drugs among young people - an area in need of further research.

Phase 3 of the RDIS funding call will open in December 2024. This phase will focus on further roll out of interventions that have already been evaluated for effectiveness.

Phase 2 research projects

Reducing illicit substance use project: Refinement, feasibility and assessment

Dr Chris Retzler and Professor Michael Doyle, University of Huddersfield 
Evaluating educational materials, 1-to-1 therapy and a public health campaign targeting 11-16 year-olds, produced as part of Phase 1 of the RDIS call

A REAList evaluation of the feasibility of a school-based, multi-component Drug Education Programme (REAL-DEP)

Professor Betsy Thom & Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, Middlesex University 
Evaluating a drug education programme targeting 13-15 year-olds created by the charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, which is also a collaborator on the study. This work was funded as part of Phase 1 of the RDIS call.

The Illicit Project UK: Adaption and feasibility study of an evidence-based schools drug prevention programme for older adolescents

Professor Harry Sumnall, Liverpool John Moores University 
Creating and evaluating a UK adaptation of a drug prevention programme already in use in Australia targeting 15-19 year-olds.

Preventing illicit substance use: a mixed-methods evaluation of a schools-based Theatre-in-Education intervention

Mr David Bishop and Professor Jorg Huber, East Sussex County Council 
Evaluating a Theatre-in-Education programme in for 12-14 year olds in collaboration with the University of Brighton, this multi-component programme is already in use in East Sussex secondary schools to support the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education curriculum. This approach incorporates a drama production to help address wellbeing and safeguarding topics relevant to young people’s lives.