OBJECTIVES: To find how much alcohol, tobacco and drugs adolescents consume and identify some linked socio-family variables. DESIGN: A crossover and descriptive study, with randomised sampling stratified by classrooms. SETTING:Secondary schools in the town of Lugo. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: 805 students of both sexes from the secondary schools. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We used a self-filled anonymous semiclosed questionnaire. 34.6% habitually consumed alcohol, of whom 43.3% had got drunk at least once in the previous 6 months and 7.1% on more than 13 occasions. 25.7% were habitual smokers. 12.3% had consumed cannabis; 10.1% tranquilisers; 7.5% amphetamines; 4.6% sleeping pills; 2.1% cocaine; 1.9% LSD; 1.5% heroin. Variables linked to consumption were: age, repeating the school year, considering him/herself a bad student, fighting, consumption by both parents, not doing sports, having more money and not having a good relationship with parents. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption is high and similar to other regions of Spain. Prevention strategies are needed, in the family, at school and in the media.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: To find how much alcohol, tobacco and drugs adolescents consume and identify some linked socio-family variables. DESIGN: A crossover and descriptive study, with randomised sampling stratified by classrooms. SETTING: Secondary schools in the town of Lugo. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: 805 students of both sexes from the secondary schools. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We used a self-filled anonymous semiclosed questionnaire. 34.6% habitually consumed alcohol, of whom 43.3% had got drunk at least once in the previous 6 months and 7.1% on more than 13 occasions. 25.7% were habitual smokers. 12.3% had consumed cannabis; 10.1% tranquilisers; 7.5% amphetamines; 4.6% sleeping pills; 2.1% cocaine; 1.9% LSD; 1.5% heroin. Variables linked to consumption were: age, repeating the school year, considering him/herself a bad student, fighting, consumption by both parents, not doing sports, having more money and not having a good relationship with parents. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption is high and similar to other regions of Spain. Prevention strategies are needed, in the family, at school and in the media.