Alcohol problem grows in schools
By CANDIA DAMES ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:


The most widely and regularly used substances among Bahamian secondary school students in 2008 were found to be alcohol and marijuana, according to a newly released report completed by the National Anti-Drug Secretariat.

But the study found that while alcohol rates among students had increased between 2002 and 2008, the opposite was true in relation to marijuana.

"The use of all other licit and illicit drugs was low and use was mainly experimental," said the report, titled "Bahamas Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey 2008."

"However, there is a level of concern over the use of solvents and/or inhalants, which was more prevalent among young students."

Inhalants include substances like glue, paint, white out, petrol and paint thinners.

Two thousand and thirty students selected from 26 educational institutions across seven islands participated in the study. The majority of the students were females (52 percent) from the 8th grade (35.7 percent), enrolled in public schools (70.4 percent) and from New Providence (68 percent).

The report said, "Alcohol use continues to be a common behavior among secondary students, with the proportion of students who have tried and who continue to use having increased since 2002.

"Of concern was that overall, almost one half of all students who drank within 30 days of the survey had binged at least once, with binge drinking seemingly common among younger students.

"Among current drinkers or those who drank within the past 30 days, binging by females was most prevalent among the grade eight students, while among the males, binge drinking was more prevalent among the grade 10 students."

The report said that given the broad acceptance of alcohol use in The Bahamas, education programs should encourage responsible drinking and focus on preventing adolescents from getting drunk.

As it regards marijuana, the study found that this remained a practice primarily of males and older students.

The report said approximately 40 percent of the students who had used marijuana in the year prior to the survey reportedly used it on a monthly or more frequent basis.

"While the observed decrease in the prevalence rates is positive, these results still give cause for concern as marijuana is still illegal, and the potential danger its possession and use pose to health and social functioning presents a challenge to those working with Bahamian adolescents," it said.

"The use of solvents and inhalants, similar to the results from 2002, was surpassed only by alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana and at all prevalence levels was more common among younger students."

The report said this pattern may suggest that the use of inhalants is a relatively recent phenomenon that may be viewed by older students as immature behavior.

"The public health threat presented by solvents and/or inhalants is related to the fact that these substances are very cheap and easy to obtain, which makes their control extremely difficult, and usage can result in severe mental problems and probably even death," it added.

"If the observed differences in inhalant use is true, and is not a reflection of younger students having misinterpreted the question, the results would suggest this issue needs to be further studied and addressed."

The report said the results regarding the prevalence of other drugs suggest that the use of hallucinogens, amphetamines, cocaine and other illicit substances by secondary students did not vary between 2002 and 2008 and can be described as experimental rather than regular.

The study said that regarding the exposure to drugs and other psychotropic substances, it can again be concluded that the presence of friends who drank frequently and used drugs played a significant role in the etiology of the student's own drug and alcohol use.

"The more alcohol and drug-using friends the students reported, the more likely that they themselves would both try and continue using these substances," the report said.

"This is coupled with the fact that accessibility increased with increasing grade levels to the point where approximately six of every 10 grade 12 students believed that obtaining marijuana would be easy."

The report added that the proportion of students receiving drug prevention education in school was at an unacceptably low level, as drug prevention programs were not universally implemented in schools and varied in their coverage across schools.

"Consequently, one must seriously question the existence of a national school drug education policy or the adherence of such a policy, if one exists," the report said.

"Given these findings, it was good to know that the large majority knew about the dangers of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine, etc. However, there is still considerable ignorance, particularly among the younger cohort, regarding the harmfulness posed by the use and/or abuse of prescription drugs like tranquilizers and stimulants as well as by solvents or inhalants."

June 14, 2010

thenassauguardian