The National Drug Board (JND) presented this Thursday the data obtained in the IX National Survey on drug use in high school students. This survey was carried out based on a sample of 5,096 students between the ages of 13 and 17 from all over the country, and was carried out between September 24 and November 5, 2021. The Secretary General of the National Drug Board, Daniel Radio, told the media that “concerns” the increase in the consumption of energy drinks.
“It happens in the younger age groups, the increase in the graph is steep and that is very worrying,” he said. In addition, she pointed out that “for the first time in the history of Uruguay, the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and tranquilizers in high school students is more in women than in men, it is a significant fact.” Radio also pointed out that substance use is “closely linked” to family involvement, “It is the main protective factor we have for problematic substance use,” she said. She added that regarding tranquilizers, she expressed that “it is really very worrying that a significant percentage of high school students use them without medical indication,” she stressed.
the survey
According to the survey, eight out of 10 students they have consumed alcohol sometime in their life, 7 out of 10 in the last year and almost half in the last month. In addition, almost 3 out of 10 of the students have had one or more episodes of alcohol abuse in the last 15 days. Alcohol abuse occurs more in the interior than in Montevideo. In the chapter dedicated to energy drinks, 7 out of 10 students have consumed this type of drink at some time in their lives, registering a very marked increase compared to the 2018 measurement. It is the substance most consumed by those under 15 years of age.
Regarding tobacco, 9% of students have consumed in the last month, showing a decrease after a period of stability between 2016 and 2018. Tobacco consumption is higher in women than in men, with a prevalence of 18 .2% and 12.1%, respectively, in the last month. Also, one in 4 students has tried marijuana at some time in her life, while 19% did so in the last 12 months. Women also reported greater use of the drug, according to the survey. As for cocaine, 2.6% used it at some time in their lives, and 1.4% did so in the last year. Lastly, the consumption of hallucinogens reaches 3.3% of the students, at some time in their lives. That of synthetic drugs such as ecstasy, 2.7%. And that of base paste, 0.7%.
tranquilizers
One of the most striking data has to do with the consumption of tranquilizers: 24% of students have consumed tranquilizers without a medical prescription.
