Five per cent of Maltese respondents in a European survey on health reported having multiple partners.

The results of the European Health Interview Survey 2008 for Malta, carried out in EU countries to look at lifestyle habits in smoking, alcohol, drug consumption, nutrition, physical activity and sexual health, were launched this morning during a news conference.

According to the results, 67 per cent of those who said they had multiple partners used condoms.

The survey, carried out among 5,000 people, found that 80 per cent of people had sex at least once in their lifetime and 65.3 per cent of the sexually active population reported not using any form of contraception in the past year.

A total 20.3 per cent of those using contraception used the withdrawal method, 18.9 per cent used a condom, 5.5 per cent followed natural family planning and 4.1 per cent were on the pill.

According to the survey, obesity remained a problem with 58 per cent of the Maltese adult population being overweight (36 per cent) or obese (22 per cent).

In the EU, Malta has the highest proportion of obesity among men and it is third among women.

Despite the high obesity rates, 74 per cent of those interviewed reported eating fruit at least once a day and 51 per cent ate vegetables at least once a day.

When compared to 2002, the proportion of respondents reporting moderate physical activity doubled with males being more physically active than female.

When it came to drugs, the substance with the highest lifetime consumption rate was tranquillisers prescribed by doctors (18.7 per cent). This was followed by cannabis at 4.7 per cent, tranquillisers and sedatives without prescription (1.5 per cent), cocaine (1.3 per cent) and ecstasy (one per cent). Malta ranked top, together with Italy and Austria, in the use of opiates (heroin).

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs estimated that five out of every 1,000 aged between 18 and 64 had a heroin problem in 2008.

The proportion of daily smokers in Malta dropped from 23 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent in 2008. However, occasional smoking increased from three to six per cent. Males smoked more than female and passive smoking was still reported in bars and restaurants.

A total 18.6 per cent of Maltese interviewed said they consumed alcohol at dinner, 16.7 per cent at a bar, pub or cafe, 11.1 per cent at lunch and six per cent alone. 1.8 per cent said they drank before driving.

More than half respondents reported never drinking alcohol in the previous 12 months and 15.3 per cent drank at least once a week.

The average number of drinks consumed each week was 16. Weekly consumption amongst men was three times that amongst woman.

There survey reported a marked increase in the rates of binge drinking. In fact, monthly binge drinking tripled since 2002 while weekly binge drinking was six times higher.

Health Minister Joe Cassar said that the research provided a valuable tool on which government could take action to improve the lifestyle of people and ultimately reduce health costs in future.

This year, the government would be launching national cancer and obesity strategies.

He said that unfortunately, when people heard these statistics they distanced themselves from them rather than owned them.