Higher numbers of children in the UK are using illegal drugs and ‘new’ drugs, such as Lean and Xanax, have become more readily available. Significantly more young people are being prosecuted and convicted for supplying Class A drugs, which isindicative of rising child criminal exploitation such as ‘county lines’.

At the same time, more young people are turning to social media for information, where screening of content is inegligible and platforms are being infiltrated by drug dealers.

These developments urgently demand high-quality, sustained drugs education in schools and the implementation of drugs policies and interventions that effectively safeguard young people.