Up to date: Apr 29, 2024 08:05 PM
Up in smoke: the report reveals that hashish is extra standard amongst teenagers than standard cigarettes
Alcohol and tobacco use amongst younger folks seems to be declining, in keeping with a latest survey.
A report by the Division for Nationwide Drug Management confirmed, nonetheless, that hashish use is extra frequent amongst college pupils than smoking common cigarettes.
The survey of two,701 kids between the ages of 10 and 18 was carried out by the DNDC and the Ministry of Training final October.
The outcomes, launched in the present day, confirmed that 48.4 per cent of respondents reported utilizing at the least one drug of their lifetime, down from 52.8 per cent in 2019, when the final survey was carried out.
A breakdown of the figures indicated that 42 per cent of scholars had sampled alcohol, 12.6 per cent had taken hashish and three.5 per cent had smoked cigarettes. In 2019, these figures have been 45.2 per cent, 18.3 per cent and 5.2 per cent, respectively.
Nearly 15 per cent of S4 college students stated that they take hashish at current, in contrast with lower than 2 per cent who stated they smoke cigarettes. Consumption of marijuana was additionally greater amongst women than boys.
The outcomes recommended that well being components could also be a motive for hashish being extra standard than tobacco.
A authorities assertion on the survey stated: “The vast majority of college students — 92 per cent — perceived ‘smoking cigarettes incessantly’ to be essentially the most dangerous behaviour when it comes to well being danger when in comparison with alcohol or marijuana use, whereas ‘smoking marijuana generally’ is perceived to be dangerous by 81.5 per cent of survey respondents.”
Greater than 1 / 4 of S4 college students stated that they eat alcohol, however the survey revealed that 3.7 per cent of ten-year-olds additionally drink.
One other shock statistic revealed that greater than a fifth of respondents — 22.1 per cent — stated that they had been a passenger in a automotive pushed by somebody who had drunk alcohol, whereas 8.2 per cent stated that they had been a passenger on a motorbike pushed by somebody who had been ingesting.
In line with the findings, alcohol and marijuana have been “simply accessible”.
The assertion stated: “Roughly one in ten — 10.4 per cent — college students was supplied to purchase or use marijuana prior to now 30 days of the survey and 13.7 per cent have been supplied to purchase or use alcohol.
“Practically three in ten college students — 28.8 per cent — have been curious to attempt an unlawful drug, whereas simply over one in 5 — 23.7 per cent — reported that the chance to attempt a bootleg drug can be taken if introduced.”
It concluded: “These findings underscore the dynamic nature of adolescent substance use, emphasising the continued want for vigilant monitoring and focused intervention to deal with rising traits successfully.“
