Use of marijuana and cocaine among teens
Drug use among Spanish students 14 to 18 years has decreased in 2010 compared to previous years and this reduction is more pronounced in the case of snuff, cannabis and cocaine.
However, these three drugs are still the most consumed by the Spanish youth, according to the National Survey on Drug Use in Secondary School Students (ESTUDES) 2010, released by the Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality.
Alcohol consumption shows a relatively stable trend, but three out of 10 schools recognized having been drunk in the last month.
Alcohol, snuff and inhalers are volatile drugs earlier onset (between 13 and 14 years).
Cocaine use among students recorded the lowest figures of the last decade: 3.9% say they have used the drug sometime in their life, to 2.6% did in the last year and 1.5 % last month.
The survey, which the Government Delegation for the National Drug Plan every two years since 1994, includes a sample of nearly 32,000 students in secondary schools throughout Spain.
Scholars believe that the snuff is more dangerous to health than cannabis, and for them, alcohol is the substance that they perceive less risk, less than half of respondents felt that taking 5 or 6 drinks on the weekend can cause problems.
The data show that daily consumption of snuff has declined since 2004. While that year, 21.5% were daily smokers among adolescents, this year 12.3% do, which means that in the last six years the proportion of students who smoke has fallen by almost 50%.
Cannabis is the most used illegal drug, although the data of this year confirm the downward trend begun in recent years, with figures that are lower than those recorded in 2000.
Regarding the previous survey, is reduced by 4 points, the number of students who have at some time in the last year and 3 points in the case of those who have in the past month.
The girls consume legal drugs (snuff, alcohol or hypnosedatives) at higher rates than boys, while illegal substances are consumed in greater proportion by them.
Alcohol and more
The study noted that polydrug use is an increasingly common pattern among schoolchildren, in which alcohol plays a role.
In three students aged between 14 and 18, you do not consume, consume another substance and one third consumed two or more drugs.
It also consolidates the downward trend begun in 2000 of amphetamines, hallucinogens and ecstasy, which recorded the lowest figures since the beginning of the surveys in 1994.
Heroin is the drug less consumed by the students: 1% has ever tested, 0.6% have used in the last year and 0.5% last month.
The survey introduced this year for the first time a section on emerging drugs.
The substances of this type most commonly consumed by young Spanish are magic mushrooms, the “Spice” and ketamine.