Drug use among adolescents in Asturias (Spain)

Resumen

A survey of drug use, based on a sample of 2,537 school students in the l5 - l7 year age group selected from 11 schools in central Asturias (Spain), showed that 697 respondents, or 29.l per cent, were drug users. Cannabis was the most widely abused drug : 500 respondents, or 20.8 per cent of the total sample, became involved with this drug at some time in their lives. The percentages of the total sample show that the use of cannabis at any time ("ever" use) was followed by use of: tranquillizers (l0.3 per cent), amphetamines and amphetamine-like substances (7.9 per cent), inhalants (2.3 per cent), hallucinogens (2.0 per cent), sedatives (l.7 per cent), opiates (l.4 per cent) and cocaine ( l.2 per cent). Males were generally more involved with drugs than females were. The average age at first drug use was l5.4 for males and l5.5 for females.