Substance Use and Addictive Behavior in Spanish Adolescents in Secondary School

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Public health
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Early onset of substance use is linked to addiction disorders.
• Adolescent substance use and behavioral addictions pose significant public health challenges.
• Understanding adolescent addictive behaviors is vital for effective prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe substance use and addictive behaviors in secondary school students aged 12-16.
• To determine the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine use.
• To evaluate the influence of social environment and risk perception on adolescent addictive behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional descriptive study design.
• Data collected from 1298 secondary school students (ages 12-16).
• Assessed prevalence of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine) and behavioral addictions (social networks, video games), social environment, and risk perception.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of last month's consumption: alcohol (14%), tobacco (15%), cannabis (3%).
• 76% of students frequently use the internet (5-7 days/week).
• Positive association found between frequency of use and immediate social environment use.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent substance use and internet addiction are prevalent.
• The social environment significantly influences addictive behaviors.
• Educational and preventive interventions for students and parents are necessary to address these issues.