More than a third of young people admit they have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the classroom, a survey revealed today.

Boys were more likely to turn up to school under the influence (41 per cent) compared to 29 per cent of girls.

And 12 per cent of 16 to 19-year-olds said they had tried a Class A drug cocaine, ecstasy, crack cocaine or heroin which rose to 23 per cent of 20 to 24-year-olds.

Nearly half of young people (49 per cent) thought they acted stupidly while drunk but 17 per cent said they needed to drink so they could relax.

The Tpoll survey, commissioned by the music channel MTV, quizzed 1,118 people aged between 16 and 24.

They were also asked about their attitudes to crime, debt, religion, fame and relationships.

More than half (54 per cent) thought the death penalty should be brought back for serious crime, while 63 per cent thought the police had the right to stop and search.

A quarter of young men said they had been arrested or cautioned mainly for drunk and disorderly compared to 9 per cent of young women.