| Popis: |
OBJECTIVES: To find the evolution of the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among adolescents in an urban area. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Secondary school (middle-class urban area). PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Six hundred and seventy-eight students took part in the years 1997, 2001, and 2004. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The questionnaire included questions on age, sex and consumption of toxic substances. The following figures are given in order of the year of study.We studied 172, 249, and 257 adolescents, with a mean age of 14 (interval, 12-17) and equality of sexes. The proportion of adolescents with no consumption of toxic substances increased (21%±3.1%; 34%±3.0% 56%±3.1%; P90%), cocaine use fell and design drug use increased. Age affected consumption, but sex did not. CONCLUSIONS: In the last 8 years the consumption of toxic substances among adolescents has dropped, mainly because of less alcohol consumption. However, new forms of consumption of alcohol and other illegal drugs, especially at weekends, emerged and daily consumption of tobacco increased. |
