Cannabis Use Research and Intervention Development

Co-producing insight-led interventions to tackle cannabis use among young people

Cannabis use among young people is a persistent and growing concern nationally. In Sunderland, local data showed that 11% of Year 10 pupils had tried cannabis and 28% of secondary pupils knew someone involved in drug use. Sunderland City Council commissioned SMG to understand the drivers of use among 12–16 year olds and develop evidence-based pilot interventions to tackle it.

Following a comprehensive desk review, we engaged with local stakeholders, young people and parents through workshops, focus groups and depth interviews. We applied behavioural analysis frameworks including COM-B, exchange analysis and the Socio-Ecological Model to identify the key factors driving and deterring use across three audience segments. The insight informed two pilot interventions, co-developed with local young people and supported by youth support organisations:

A multi-tactic myth-busting campaign

• We ran local ads on Snapchat, the platform most closely associated with local cannabis dealing, with creative that used language and imagery familiar to cannabis users. It featured real stories co-produced with young people with lived experience of cannabis use and recorded by local youth theatre actors.
• Guerilla QR code stickers were placed in known cannabis hotspots. These mirrored stickers often used to sell drugs, but instead re-directed users to myth-busting content on the Youth Drug and Alcohol Project (YDAP) website.

A school-based education programme

• We developed a new PSHE lesson for Years 8 and 9, drawing on the same co-produced stories and feedback from local young people.
• The creation of a practical Parent Toolkit equipped parents with the knowledge and confidence to have informed conversations about cannabis with their children.

Results

• The Snapchat campaign delivered over 2 million impressions and 39,000 video views in six weeks, reaching around 30,000 young people aged 13–17 in Sunderland on a modest media budget. It was the first time the channel had been used for a Council-commissioned campaign.
• The stickers' QR code was scanned 95 times, successfully intercepting potential cannabis transactions and redirecting users towards myth-busting messaging.
• In schools, 96% of pupils rated the lesson as useful and knowledge of cannabis harms increased significantly.
• The Parent Toolkit was rated helpful by 90% of parents who read it.
• Both pilots were recommended for scaling up as part of a longer-term, multi-partner prevention strategy.