The Prevalence of Illegal Drug Use

Abstract

The prevalence of the use of only one type of illicit drug, except marijuana or hashish, ranging from 0.4% to 14.3% for different substances. Psychoactive drugs used by participants aged 13-34 years in our study, are sedatives and tranquilizers without a prescription. Lifetime prevalence of consumption of sedatives without prescription resulted 14.3% of boys and girls reported similar prevalence (14.1% respectively 14.6% boys versus girls). For all other psychoactive substances illegal, the prevalence was significantly higher among men than among women. The aim of this study has been to undertake an in depth analysis of the prevalence, tendencies, and factors related to the use of psycho active substances among youth in Albania and evaluation of social services offered in the country. The objective of the study is the Determination of the prevalence and frequency of consumption of illegal drugs and their relation to socio-demographic and economic factors. This study is transversal (cross-sectional), the only type of study which allows interest phenomenon prevalence evaluation. In this study are included two subject groups: one group consists of subjetcs currently present at education system and interviewed at school settings, i.e secondary schools, high schools and university. The other group consists of youngsters being interviwed not at schools settings.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n3p530