Drugs and Alcohol (young people)

University student, taking a year off and working as a volunteer with a student drug reform organisation called Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Chloe works with young people with complex and special educational needs. She lives at home with her mother and younger sister. Ethnic background: mixed other.

Alex goes to college full-time and works as a barman at weekends. He plans to go to university. He lives with his parents and two stepsisters. His family only drinks alcohol occasionally. British.

Lauren is a student is finishing Health and Social Care course at college and afterwards she plans to work for a year and then go to university to study social work. She lives with her mother and older brother. British.

Ben is a first year university student who started drinking heavily in his gap year. He has occasionally taken drugs when he has been drinking.

Alex is a first year university student. He drank as a teenager to build his confidence. He found that his drinking habits changed when he started at university.

Kasim lives alone on a council estate. He has enrolled in a 13 week hairdressing course, and has a college placement. Ethnic background: Mixed race. Karis lives alone on a council estate. After leaving school she got an apprenticeship at a nursery and goes to college once a week. She hopes to pursue a career in childcare. Ethnic background: Black British.

Steph has a four-year-old daughter and has another baby on the way. She lives with her partner. Her mother had a heroin addiction, and Steph was adopted by someone who became an alcoholic. Ethnic background: White British

Mary Ann lives with her son and wants to work with children. Ethnic background: White British.

Emma is a first year university student and is on a University sports team. Heavy drinking every week is part of team building. She tries to be responsible by knowing her limits with alcohol. Ethnic background: White British.

Hugh is a first year university student who found that drinking at university was very different from drinking as a teenager. Ethnic background; British.

Hugh is a first year university student who found that drinking at university was very different from drinking as a teenager. Ben is a first year university student who changed his drinking habits from school, through his gap year and at university. Alex is a first year university student. He drank as a teenager to build his confidence. His drinking habits changed when he started university.

Tara lives with her young son and she is taking the City & Guilds qualifications in Maths and English, at her local Platform 51. She has also done a parenting skills course. Tara got a few GSCEs but thinks she could have done a lot better had it not been for cannabis and a bad boyfriend.