DRUG USE COMMON AMONG STUDENTS

A new survey has revealed that more than a quarter of teenage students in
County Kildare and West Wicklow have tried cannabis with almost half of
those who have ever tried the drug continuing to use it. The average age of
first use was found to be 13.7 years.

The survey was carried out by the Eastern Health Board and the Action South
Kildare Partnership to determine the extent and type of legal and illegal
drug use among the secondary school population.

In addition to the findings on cannabis, the results reveal that 23% of
pupils had sniffed commercial solvents, starting at an average age of 12.8
years. More than a fifth of those who sniffed solvent were still current
users.

The Substance Use in School Going Teenagers in County Kildare and West
Wicklow report, found that 64% had not used any illicit drugs while 20% had
tried one drug. A further 9.4% had tried two drugs and the remaining 6.6%
had used three or more drugs.

The report was launched by Councillor Charles O'Connor, Chairman of the
EHB's Mental Health, Addiction and Social Development Programme, who
welcomed the study.

The findings revealed that 41% of boys and 31% of girls had experimented
with illegal drugs and that over 85% of students, all of whom were aged
between 13 and 18, had tried at least one drug. "We were very concerned to
establish as precisely as possible the level of abuse among school goers in
the area," Mr O'Connor said. "The board has developed a very wide range of
education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services with around
4,000 people receiving treatment in over 50 locations."

The study found a link between alcohol and experimentation with other drugs.
The report says "a significantly higher number of those who had tried
alcohol had tried other drugs while the number of non drinkers who had done
so was small". The survey was carried out using a sample of 1,838 pupils
attending 29 secondary schools.