General characteristics of psychoactive substances consumption and abuse among high school population

Abstract

Introduction. Consumption of psychoactive substances among the youth is suggestive of a trend indicating an accelerated and continual growth of the tendency in question. This research was aimed at investigating the frequency of psychoactive substance consumption among high school students on the territory of the town of Kragujevac so that the adequate measures on prevention should be taken. Material and methods. Data from the questionnaire answered by high school student attending the 1st and 4th grade of the medical, technical and economic high schools in Kragujevac were thereby used. The survey included the overall number of 1280 students: there were 793 (62%) male participants and 487 (38%) female. The research was conducted from October 2007 until January 2008. The questionnaire from the project 'Health Status, Health Needs and Utilization of Health Care of the Population of Serbia' conducted by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia 'Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut' in 2000 was used in the survey. Results and Discussion According to the answers, alcohol was used by 45.5%, cigarettes by 20.% and drugs by 3.1% of the examined subjects. Following the use of alcohol and cigarettes, the most often used psychoactive substance was cannabis, which was consumed by 7.8% of the examined subjects out of who 9.8% were boys and 4.8% were girls. Since the risky behavior seems not to be isolated and individual, but rather as a combination of several forms of it, school programmes should treat young people before certain forms of behavior are established. Family, school, health service and society should work on an organized basis as well as methodically on prevention and on fighting against these inadequate habits.