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Young people's attitudes towards illicit drugs: A population-based study
Karina Friis1, Jeanette Østergaard2, Sidsel Reese1,3
11 DEFACTUM, Public Health & Health Services Research, Central Denmark Region, Denmark.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
|August 18, 2017
Summary
Young men and those engaging in risky behaviors like smoking or unprotected sex show more positive attitudes toward illicit drug use. This highlights key groups for targeted drug prevention programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Psychology
Background:
- Positive attitudes towards illicit drugs correlate with increased experimentation among young people.
- Understanding the characteristics of youth with favorable views on drug use is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify sociodemographic and risk behavior factors associated with positive attitudes toward illicit drug use in young people (16-24 years).
- Characterize young individuals with positive attitudes towards illicit drugs across different levels of drug experience (never used, cannabis-only, other illicit drugs).
Main Methods:
- Population-based survey data from 2013 (N=3812) were analyzed.
- Multiple logistic regression models were employed to examine associations between characteristics and positive attitudes.
Main Results:
- Young men exhibited double the odds of positive attitudes toward illicit drug use compared to young women (AOR=2.1).
- Factors associated with positive attitudes included younger age, single status, employment, tobacco smoking, unprotected sex, and experimental cannabis use.
- Frequent cannabis use (≥10 times/year) and/or use of other illicit drugs showed the strongest association (AOR=6.0).
Conclusions:
- Positive attitudes towards illicit drug use in young people are linked to a spectrum of risky behaviors.
- These findings can inform the identification of at-risk youth and guide the development of effective prevention strategies.
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