Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Drug use up sharply among the young
The rate of 15 and 16 year-olds dabbling in illicit drugs has risen more than sevenfold in 12 years, according to a new EU report.
In 1995, a mere two per cent of students this age admitted to using illicit drugs at least once in their lives. This figure has mushroomed to 15 per cent in 2007, says the report, launched yesterday in Brussels by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction (EMCDDA).
The figure is extrapolated from an as yet unpublished survey carried out in Malta last year.
Marijuana and hashish was the most common drug used by students keen on experimenting. Last year, 13 per cent of those surveyed mentioned this drug.
"The increase of lifetime prevalence (any use during a person's lifetime) of cannabis use is supported by the notion that the perception of ease of availability increased during the same period," the report says.
While the new data may come as a shock, the rates of cannabis use and other illicit drugs in Malta remained among the lowest in Europe.
The only exception was the use of inhalants, which was high in relation to other European countries.
In the 1995 and 2007 surveys, the lifetime prevalence rate of inhalants among the 15 and 16-year-olds stood at 17 and 16 per cent respectively.
The EMCDDA said the results of the 2007 survey, expected to be published later this year, showed that the lifetime prevalence of other illegal drugs - such as ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine and heroin - was much lower in this age group than that of cannabis and varied from four per cent for ecstasy to one per cent for heroin. Analysing the market in Malta, the EU agency said cannabis remained the most widely used illicit drug on the island. Due to the favorable climatic conditions "it is very easy to grow cannabis, even without artificial assistance".
In 2006 (the latest data available), 39 per cent of the total drug haul was cannabis resin, followed by heroin (24 per cent) and ecstasy tablets (20 per cent).
In 2006, the police drug squad made 544 arrests for drug-related offences and 445 persons were charged. Of these, 76 per cent were charged for possession, 15 per cent for trafficking and nine per cent for a combination of trafficking and possession.
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Claudia Peco
Nov 8th 2008, 09:23
If once caught - even if just for personal use - will this event show on the youngster's police report? Since nowadays Employers ask for a police report prior to employing.
A. Saliba
Nov 7th 2008, 15:36
"The rate of 15 The rate of 15 and 16 year-olds dabbling in illicit drugs has risen more than sevenfold in 12 years"
Looks like the drug war is working.
Joe Morana
Nov 7th 2008, 15:35
First of all let's have ZERO TOLERANCE, which means no possession, not even if meant for personal use. That part of the law is incomprehensible since drugs 'for personal use' can easily be shared with others. Secondly, the importation and pushing of any type of illegal drugs should be severly punished, and I don't mean with just the customary suspended sentence.
Marianna Galea Xuereb
Nov 7th 2008, 13:41
It IS partly the parents fault BUT…
The rest of the blame lies with the EU’s too lenient laws which make it far too profitable to market drugs without the risk of a death penalty for drug traffickers. Yes, the EU’s perverse pride in totally abolishing the death penalty is fully protecting the human rights of a few criminals per year at most but it is causing the premature death of God only knows how many thousands of people per year through drug overdoses, fatal accidents brought about by substance abuse and murders committed by substance abusers and people who need a permanent death penalty deterrent hanging over their heads to even bother with self control. Besides there is, as yet, no EU Directive or law obliging member states to fully educate each and everyone of their citizens about the effects of the various types of abusive substances AND about the various evil ways of how these are usually marketed and about how victims may be systematically initiated on such substances to eventually get hooked and fully dependent on them.
Marianna Galea Xuereb
Nov 7th 2008, 13:36
Yes Ms. Piscopo is right. It IS partly the parents fault for dishing out too much money and material gifts while at the same time skimping on adequate child monitoring, family bonding and generally outsourcing their parental responsibility because it is more convenient and far easier for certain parents to buy “relaxation and free time” solely for themselves. The myth of “quality time being more important than quantity” is increasing in popularity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Children, teenagers AND even certain young adults need a LOT of quality time, holistic education, monitoring, guidance AND checking up on them regularly without their finding out about it and adults who are not prepared to give up enough of “their” time to ensure proper upbringing and monitoring of their child for as long as he/she happens to need it should not bother to sire, adopt or foster children. BUT…
Peter North
Nov 7th 2008, 11:06
Thanks EMCDDA for reminding us how irresponsible it is to have drug laws like we have in Malta, where everything is placed under the same umbrella. That is a substance which never killed anyone is the same as a substance which is responsible for 3.5% of the deaths in Europe!
REF : It is estimated that between one and six persons out of a 1,000 in Europe have a problem with opioid use. Between 2005 and 2006, opioid-induced deaths accounted for 3.5 percent of all deaths of Europeans aged between 15 and 39. It is the principal drug in around 50% of all drug treatment requests. In 2006, more than 600,000 opioid users received substitution treatment.
Update Our Laws!!!!!!
Mary Piscopo
Nov 7th 2008, 10:58
Where do these children get the money to buy the drugs? I assume they are still at school, isn't it in part the parents fault for giving them so much allowance instead of guidance?