30/11/2007 00:00:00
Report shows that Spanish youths top European list of cannabis and
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The 2007 report compiled by the European Observatory on Drugs and Drug
Addiction has put Spain at the top of the list of cannabis and cocaine
use - particularly among young people - in the European Union. It also
ranks high on the list of amphetamine and ecstasy use. The Iberian
peninsular has also been revealed as the main point of entry of cocaine
in Europe.
However, the Observatory’s conclusion is that Europe appears to have
“entered a more stable period” after a decade of drug use increase.
Heroin use has gone down, and cannabis consumption “could be stabilising
after a period of continual growth”. However, these positive figures
have been overshadowed by the increase in cocaine use.
Figures
A total of 4.5 million Europeans (aged between 15 and 64) took cocaine
during the past year, which represents 1.3 per cent of the population.
Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom recorded almost double the
consumption figure. Cocaine use among people in the 15 to 34 age group
in the three above-mentioned countries is more than three per cent, and
way above the the European average of 2.4 per cent.
Drug use among Spanish students aged between 17 and 18 is particularly
worrying. In 2004, 19 per cent of Spanish students admitted to having
tried cocaine at least once. This figure dropped to 11 per cent in 2006,
but the figures are still considerably higher than those recorded in
countries such as Italy (six per cent) and the Netherlands (five per cent).
With regard to cannabis, the Observatory points out that use of the drug
in Spain either stabilised or went down last year. However, Spain
occupies the sixth place (along with Slovakia) on the list of 15 to
34-year-olds who took ecstasy last year (two per cent).
http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=11793
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13051
Author:
Sur in English via UKCIA
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