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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: British teenagers lead Europe's drug takers
Will Hardie Reuters
Tuesday 20 Feb 2001 STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Fewer British schoolchildren are trying drugs but they remain Europe's most prolific drug takers, according to a World Health Organisation report. Some 36 percent of British 15 and 16 year olds had tried drugs by 1999, down from the 42 percent who had in 1995 but still ahead of their peers in 29 other European countries surveyed. However, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), published on Tuesday, found that in most other European countries abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs by teenagers has increased sharply in the last five years. The Czech Republic moved up to second place ahead of Ireland as its proportion of children who had tried drugs rocketed to 35 percent from 23 percent. A large increase in the number of children who had used cannabis was the main reason for the Czech rise, the study said. Irish drug use dropped to 32 percent in 1999 from 37 percent. Cannabis use also jumped in Poland, making Polish teenagers Europe's equal biggest marijuana smokers alongside Britons. Especially worrying was an increase in binge drinking, especially in Britain, Denmark, Ireland and Poland, the study said. More than 30 percent of schoolchildren in those countries reported binge drinking -- defined as five drinks in a row -- three or more times in the last month. Officials said binge drinking was a particular problem because even if overall drinking fell, children were at particular risk when very drunk to dangers such as alcohol poisoning, accidents and unwanted sex. "Both alcohol and illicit drug use have increased markedly in many ESPAD countries, especially in the central and eastern parts of Europe," the report said. "However, the high prevalence countries are still mainly to be found in the western parts." Tobacco smoking was well established by the mid-teens in most countries and showed few signs of diminishing since the previous ESPAD survey in 1995, the study said. As in 1995, the 1999 ESPAD study collected questionnaire data from children aged 15 to 16 from nationally representative samples of classes. Students answered the questionnaires anonymously in test conditions. Most sample sizes, except in small countries, were close to or above the recommended number of 2,400, the study said.
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