[Study on drug use among students in the province of Valencia, Spain]

Drug use among youth has increased in recent years dramatically during adolescence, a key phase in the integral development of the individual. The main aim of this cross-sectional, descriptive study was to assess the current drug use trends, as a function of age and gender among secondary education students from representative centers in the Valencia province during the school year 2009-2010. A total of 328 adolescents, 44.8% (n=147) males and 55.2% (n=181) females, with a mean age of 15.61 (SD 2.5) years, divided in three age groups: 12-14 years old (n=134, 40.9%), 14-18 years old (n=123, 37.5%), and older than 18 years of age (n=71, 21.6%) participated in the study. Alcohol and tobacco, followed by cannabis, were the substances more commonly used by the secondary education students. There were statistically significant differences between the three age groups in lifetime use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and tranquilizers. The highest prevalences were observed in students older than 18 years of age, therefore evidencing a common pattern of increase in substance use with age. Alcohol and tobacco use were significantly higher among girls compared to boys, while males more commonly used inhalants and opioids. Therefore, it appears essential to promote prevention campaigns at earlier ages, when adolescents are more vulnerable to initial substance use, and adapted to the specific needs of the diverse populations of school age children.