Drug Use By High School Students On The Rise
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, The BahamasTHE use of drugs and alcohol is continuing to rise among high school students.
More
secondary school students are using alcohol and marijuana than they
were in 2008, according to the recently released 2011 Secondary School
Drug Prevalence Survey results.
The
survey, conducted on 2,639 students from 44 private and public schools
by the National Anti-Drug Secretariat of the Ministry of National
Security, reveals that lifetime use of alcohol is at 70 per cent, an
increase from the 68.2 per cent in 2008 and the 64.4 per cent in 2002.
“Fully
one-half,” according to the report, “of all students had taken an
alcoholic drink in the past year and a total of 29.9 per cent drank an
alcoholic beverage within the past month; slightly up from the 22.6 per
cent in 2002 and the 28.9 per cent in 2008.”
“Binge drinking, which was defined as drinking five or more drinks on any one occasion, was rather common.”
“A
total of 46.8 per cent of the students who drank within the month prior
to the survey had engaged in one or more sessions of binge drinking in
the two weeks preceding the survey,” the report further noted.
Drinking took place most often at social events and at home for students who had drunk within a year of taking the survey.
“The
primary source of alcohol for those students who admittedly drank
within the year preceding the survey was; Friends – 25.4 per cent; Shop –
20.4 per cent; Other Relative -18.6 per cent; and Parents -12.5 per
cent.”
Regarding
marijuana usage, the report notes that 13.7 per cent of all students
had tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime, with 9.7 per cent
having used it within the past year and 5.0 per cent in the 30 days
immediately prior to answering the survey.
“Usage
rates in 2008 were 12.7 per cent lifetime, 7.2 per cent in the past
year and 3.4 per cent in the past month,” the report said.
“Of
those who did admit to smoking marijuana within the past year, 28.2 per
cent did so only once; 32.7 per cent occasionally; and another 28.6 per
cent on a weekly or more frequent basis.”
The
report also notes that marijuana usage is predominant among male
students and by the 12th grade, usage is four times higher than in the
eighth grade.
The
use of cigarettes decreased significantly for lifetime use when
compared to the 2002 Survey, but was similar to the rate observed in
2008.
“Approximately
13.1 per cent of all students smoked a cigarette at least once during
their lifetime; as compared to 19.8 per cent in 2002 and 12.9 per cent
in 2008. Overall, only 5.1 per cent had smoked a cigarette in the year
preceding the survey, up from the 3.5 per cent in 2008,” the report
noted.
The
report further notes that after alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes, the
substance tried most often by the students was solvents and inhalants.
Slightly over 10 per cent reportedly tried a solvent or inhalant at
least once in their lives; an increase from the 5.4 per cent observed in
2008.
The
abuse of prescription drugs, both tranquillizers and stimulants,
including ecstasy, was not common among Bahamian secondary school
students the report noted.
Approximately
4 of every 10 students (42.0 per cent) was exposed to drugs through the
presence of friends who used an illicit substance and “15.5 per cent of
all students reported that they had at least one parent who had
problems related to drinking alcohol.”
July 01, 2013
