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- Title
LA ENCUESTA DE ESTUDIANTES DE NIVEL MEDIO Y MEDIO SUPERIOR DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO: NOVIEMBRE 2003. PREVALENCIAS Y EVOLUCIÓN DEL CONSUMO DE DROGAS.
- Authors
Villatoro Velásquez, Jorge A.; Icaza, Ma. Elena Medina-Mora; Valdés, Mónica Hernández; Fleiz Bautista, Clara M.; Amador Buenabad, Nancy G.; Lozano, Patricia Bermúdez
- Abstract
Introduction: Research focused on drug consumption in schools has been developed in Mexico since 1976 and has allowed for a constant monitoring of this behavior in the population. The National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente (INP) and the Public Education Administration (SEP) have been the pioneering institutions in these efforts, where other interested institutions and states add their contributions to the assessment of the problem in this social sector. Due to the need of developing local preventive programs to reduce drug consumption, several regions of the country have carried out, in a first stage, situational diagnoses of drug consumption. These data, in addition to other community information sources, have helped to enhance efforts in terms of prevention. To date, the main investigations related to students are the Fourth National Survey on Addictions, the National Survey from the National System for the Integral Family Development, regional surveys with young students from 7th to 9th grades (Queretaro; Ríoverde, San Luis Potosi; Sinaloa; Tamaulipas and Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco.), from 10th to 12th grade (same states, except for Ciudad Guzman and the study done in Guanajuato whose results have not been published yet) and college (Ríoverde). The main findings for adolescents and youths obtained from these studies show an increase in drug consumption, especially for alcohol, cannabis and metamphetamines, although the general index of consumption remains steady since 2001, especially in the case of cocaine. There have also been changes in men and female contributions to the consumption index, giving similar prevalences for alcohol and tobacco in both. Regional variations have been observed, where drug consumption is higher in more urbanized cities. However, new generations are more affected by this phenomenon regardless of the level of urbanization of the place where they live. Also, as it has been previously established, being in a scholastic environment is a protective factor against drug consumption, because consumption is higher among adolescents who do not study, and it is a differential factor that protects men more than women. As a consequence, these sources and different students' surveys point out that the probability of drug consumption increases when a minor is working. Additionally, studies report that an early consumption onset for tobacco and alcohol, mainly before 13 years old, increases the possibility of consuming other drugs. This fact is important because several reports on the literature show that age of onset for consuming these drugs is becoming earlier. It is relevant to consider that drug consumption is not an isolated factor. It is known that some precursors for drug consumption are the same for other behaviors, such as sexual intercourses without protection, antisocial, delinquent behaviors or suicide attempt. In behalf of this, prevention programs must be designed in an integral way considering the global environment of adolescents, and not just focused on drug consumption. From this point of view, results from the survey on drug use carried out among students in Mexico City in autumn, 2003, are presented. This survey is the most recent diagnosis about this problem in Mexican adolescents, and keeps the methodological standards of previous surveys. Objective: The aim of the present work is to give a recent and complete view about this problem and prevention opportunities for adolescents of Mexico City and the whole country.
- Subjects
MEXICO; TEENAGE consumers; DRUG addiction; DRUG abuse; DRUG addiction -- Social aspects
- Publication
Salud Mental, 2005, Vol 28, Issue 1, p38
- ISSN
0185-3325
- Publication type
Article