DRUG DEATH LEVEL HERE IS HIGHEST IN EUROPE - SURVEY

Ireland has the highest rate of drug related deaths in the EU while the
average age for Dublin pupils to start experimenting with cannabis is now
as young as 12 years.

A survey of 1,000 Dublin youngsters also revealed they take their first
drink at 11 years and 14pc had abused inhalants such as glue.

The worrying trends are exposed in separate studies from the EU and the
Eastern Health Board with evidence that all-girl schools are less likely
breeding grounds for substance abuse.

The survey of second year pupils in 16 schools in Dublin found girls in
mixed schools were more likely to smoke cannabis than those in single-sex
schools.

BINGE DRINKING

Those in all-girl schools were not fully protected from the dangers of drug
abuse but they were also less likely to indulge in ``binge drinking'' than
co-ed pupils 47pc compared to 23pc.

The health board survey also revealed ``a significant relationship between
delinquent behaviour and the level of involvement with both alcohol and
cannabis''.

Of the sample, 16pc reported drinking alcohol regularly and 59pc said they
sometimes drank. Of these, 56pc did so ``in someone's home''.

The findings come as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction found that while the number of drug related deaths across the
community has stabilised and even fallen in many countries, the trend is
highest in Ireland.

It stresses, however, that the upsurge in Ireland in recent times may be
partly due to under-reporting in previous years and that comparison of
national statistics may be flawed because of the different methods used to
record data.

WIDELY USED

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug across the EU and abuse among
15- and 16-year-olds ranges from 5pc in Portugal and Finland to 40pc in
Ireland and the UK.

A separate random study in the Eastern Health Board of 10- to 18-year-olds
found 85pc said they had tasted alcohol and 30pc had been drunk on two or
more occasions.

Almost 18pc admitted they had used hard drugs at some time in their lives
and 20pc had abused cannabis at some stage.

The results showed that 12pc had used solvents, 4.7pc amphetamines, 3.3pc
LSD and tranquillisers and 3.1pc ecstasy.

Cocaine has been tried by 2pc of schoolchildren.