# Presentation: 788889

## An Overview of  Drug Use Among Secondary School Studentsin South America Main Findings, May 2006

**Pernell Clarke & Marya Hynes-Dowell**
**Research Specialists**
**Inter-American Observatory on Drugs**
**CICAD**

**2006 NIDA International Forum**
**June 16 – 19, 2006**
**Scottsdale, Arizona, USA**

## Summary of Presentation

**Summary of Presentation**

- Inter-American Drug Use Data System (SIDUC)
- Overview of the School Survey Methodology
- Results of comparative study
- Summary of main findings
- Conclusions and Policy implications

## Introduction to SIDUC

**Introduction to SIDUC**

-  SIDUC is a system that gathers data on the demand for and consumption of drugs
-  It utilises a number of research protocols and instruments to collect uniform indicators on various aspects of the drug phenomenon
-  It has been in existence for about 9 years
-  It has been applied throughout the hemisphere in various population segments

## Objectives of SIDUC

**Objectives of SIDUC**

-  Gather cross-sectional data on drug users
- Gather longitudinal data
-  Gather data that is comparable across countries and across time
-  Provide statistics and other info for policy makers and program managers
-  Continuously monitor the drug problem in the hemisphere

## Types of Protocols

**Types of Protocols**

- Household Survey
- Survey of Secondary School Students
- University Students
- Juvenile Offenders
- Patients in Treatment Centers
- Patients in Emergency Rooms

## Secondary School Survey - Objectives

**Secondary School Survey - Objectives**

- To estimate the prevalence of drug use in the student population
- To estimate the incidence of drug use in the student population
- Determine the age of first use, frequency of use and accessibility to drugs
- Find out the characteristics of consumers vs. Abstainers
- Determine level of knowledge about the effects of drugs

## Secondary School Survey – Objectives (cont’d)

**Secondary School Survey – Objectives (cont’d)**

- To diagnose the problem of drug use among secondary school students
- To inform he planning and implementation of prevention programs
- To evaluate progress

## METHODOLOGY

**METHODOLOGY**

- A representative sample of secondary school students is taken
- Self-administered questionnaire is used to collect data
- Data is entered and processed
- Univariate and bivariate analyses are performed
- Results are reported
- Ideally, this process is repeated every 2-3 years

## METHODOLOGY Cont’d

**METHODOLOGY Cont’d**

- Coverage:
- National
- Regional (State or Province)
- Due to the differences in the age structure of the school population samples in the different countries, the prevalence rates were adjusted to a standard population.
- The results presented here differ slightly from the individual country findings, which is a product of the adjustment.

## Slide 10

| CUADRO 1: TAMAÑOS DE MUESTRA, POBLACIÓN REPRESENTADA Y DISTRIBUCIÓN 
PORCENTUAL SEGÚN GRUPO DE EDAD, POR PAÍS |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PAÍS | Tamaño de 
muestra | Población
representada | Grupos de Edad (%) |  |  |
|  |  |  | 14 o menos | 15-16 | 17 y más |
| Argentina | 39.961 | 965.435 | 51,37 | 28,84 | 19,79 |
| Brasil | 48.155 | 4.681.856 | 57,82 | 21,65 | 20,53 |
| Bolivia | 20.386 | 139.963 | 32,00 | 34,66 | 33,35 |
| Colombia | 100.059 | 1.198.690 | 50,39 | 31,08 | 18,53 |
| Ecuador | 13.912 | 339.738 | 41,84 | 32,87 | 25,30 |
| Paraguay | 20.420 | 80.983 | 36,70 | 33,40 | 29,90 |
| Perú | 60.285 | 727.992 | 36,57 | 48,37 | 15,06 |
| Uruguay | 8.033 | 265.255 | 37,74 | 34,89 | 27,38 |
| TOTAL | 311.211 | 8.399.912 | 44,38 | 34,55 | 21,07 |

## Drug Use Among Students 14 - 17 years of age – South America

## MARIHUANA USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY

**MARIHUANA**** USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY**

## MARIHUANA IN STUDENTS 14 years and less, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY

**MARIHUANA IN STUDENTS **_**14 years and less**_**, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY**

## COCAINE USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY 

**COCAINE ****USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY **

- *In Brazil this datum corresponds to cocaine and coca paste

## ECSTASY, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY

**ECSTASY****, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY**

## INHALANT USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY

**INHALANT USE, PAST YEAR PREVALENCE, BY COUNTRY**

**USE of Pharmaceuticals without a Prescription – Amphetamine and Methamphetamine type stimulants**

**USE of Pharmaceuticals without a Prescription - tranquilizers**

## ALCOHOL USE, PAST MONTH PREVALENCE BY COUNTRY

**ALCOHOL**** USE, PAST MONTH PREVALENCE BY COUNTRY**

## ALCOHOL Use, PAST MONTH PREVALENCE, 14 years or less, By Country

**ALCOHOL**** Use, PAST MONTH PREVALENCE, **_**14 years or less**_**, By Country**

## POLYDRUG CONSUMPTION

## PAST YEAR DRUG USE PREVALENCE, BY TYPE OF DRUG, AND BY COUNTRY

**PAST YEAR DRUG USE PREVALENCE, BY TYPE OF DRUG, AND BY COUNTRY**

## PERCENT DISTRIBUTION OF DRUG USERS DURING THE PAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF DRUGS USED, AND BY COUNTRY

## Perception of Risk and Accessibility  and its association with drug use

## MAIN FINDINGS

**MAIN FINDINGS**

- Although the overall prevalence rates are similar across multiple countries, the patterns of drug use are peculiar to each country,
- There are however commonalities that should be of concern to all countries.

## MAIN FINDINGS

**MAIN FINDINGS**

- Commonalities
- The level of alcohol use among secondary school youth is worrisome in every country,
- Often exceeds 50%,
- Often Exceeds 30% in _**14-year age group,**_
- As high as 20% secondary school students smoke tobacco,

## MAIN FINDINGS

**MAIN FINDINGS**

- Differences:
- The pattern of illicit drug use and inhalant use is peculiar to each country,
-  Marihuana consumption is higher in Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina,
- Cocaine use is higher in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia,
- Ecstasy consumption appears to be significant drug of abuse in Colombia, inhalants in Brazil.

## MAIN FINDINGS

**MAIN FINDINGS**

- Marihuana consumption in Uruguay reflect a high percentage of users who use this drug exclusively,
- A similar pattern is found in Brazil with inhalants,
- Argentina and  Peru are the countries that have the highest levels of polydrug use.
- Colombia shows measurable prevalence rates of almost all the different drugs

## CONCLUSION

**CONCLUSION**

-  Although there are common concerns across countries
- There is no single drug use pattern that describes the region as a whole
- Need to examine with greater precision the reasons behind these differences: legislation on pharmaceuticals, existence of prevention programs, cultural aspects, etc.

## Thank You!  ¡Muchas Gracias!

**Thank You!  ****¡Muchas Gracias!**

- For more information, contact:
- Marya Hynes Dowell
- Program Officer – Specialist in Drug Abuse Research
- Inter-American Observatory on Drugs,
- Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
- Organization of American States
- OID/CICAD/OAS
- mhynes@oas.org
- (202) 458-6119