Study on alcohol and drugs among schoolchildren helps prevention programmes

Somebody once said that "unless you know where you're going you will never get there". This saying applies to nearly all fields of human endeavour and it certainly applies to primary prevention in alcohol and other drugs.

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) - a study co-ordinated locally by Sedqa every four years, with the participation of 28 European countries - is a snap of one particular moment in the life of fifth form secondary school students regarding this subject. However, among other aspects, it is also a survey that indicates when and where these adolescents first began using drugs and in which environment. It also gives information regarding which type of drug is currently being consumed.

The survey is undertaken almost simultaneously in all participating countries. Two reports are published, the first consisting of a comparative study between these countries and the second is a national report by each country. Both reports are relevant for Sedqa's prevention work, the former to be able to assess progress or regress in this field compared to other European countries, and, the latter, among other things, to be able to gauge both the relevance of previous programmes, their impact on youths, and therefore to be able to base any changes for the future.

The ESPAD has now entered into its third edition so that information over nearly a ten-year span is available. Without revealing too many details from the report that is to be officially published shortly, Sedqa can state that among the population under study:

¤ in Malta's case the consumption of alcohol has remained at a very high level throughout these years;

¤ smoking has remained at the same level but there has been a gender shift in favour of girls;

¤ in the case of other drugs, inhalants still remain the top drug of abuse;

¤ regarding other drugs (marijuana, heroin, Ecstasy, cocaine) the situation can be considered as showing slight increase.

Two factors highlighted in this report strike me. The first is that primary prevention must concentrate more of its efforts on alcohol and tobacco abuse. From other studies we can almost safely say that up to age 11, the attitude towards these two drugs is certainly very healthy. Teenagers aged 12 to 16 seem to develop quite a liking for both drugs.

Current prevention programmes target both drugs as from Year 3 in primary schools, and the programme has been reinforced over the last three years with relevant programmes in secondary schools, directly delivered by trained personnel from Sedqa. We have to wait and see what effect these modifications in our programmes will have on adolescents. In the case of alcohol, we also expect that current legislation regarding underage drinking to be modified to help curb this serious situation.

The second outstanding factor is the use of inhalants, especially by young teenagers. Malta is first among European countries that have a high prevalence of those abusing 'inhalants'. I believe that besides the information that the prevention team currently makes available in schools, parents should be encouraged to inform themselves and help us in our mission and be our greatest allies in providing the necessary information. This is because 'inhalants' are mostly procured from products found at home.

Sedqa provides quite an exhaustive six-session parental skills programme and currently reaches around 600 parents each year. Often, the parents who attend are the ones least likely to need such a programme, although information and formation is never lost on anybody. However, I must appeal to all organisations, government agencies, parishes and local councils to promote this parental skills programme and to make it as easy as possible especially for parents 'at risk' to attend.

Last but not least, one must also hope that the field of research on alcohol and other drugs in Malta is further enriched. This would be a wise investment that would help save the country a lot of money by targeting audiences with relevant prevention programmes.

Consequently, in the long run, if any form of substance abuse is prevented, it would mean that the cost for treatment and health services would decline. After all, particularly in this sector, one must believe that "prevention is better than cure", not only due to all difficulties and hardships resulting from any form of substance abuse, but also in monetary terms.

Mr Pace is manager of the Primary Prevention Division at Sedqa.

Sedqa offers its care services both within the community and in residential settings. People requiring help regarding problems related to substance abuse can be referred, refer themselves to these services or access more information by calling Helpline 151, or by visiting the Agency's Website www.sedqa.org.mt