IDENTIFYING ADOLESCENT DRUG-USERS - RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH IN SWITZERLAND

Objective: To explore the proportion and characteristics of adolescent s who use illicit drugs and contrast them with adolescents who do not use such drugs in Switzerland. To facilitate the detection of adolesce nts with drug related difficulties. Methods: We used data from a natio nal survey on adolescent health in Switzerland (N = 9,273) conducted i n 1992 and 1993. The survey is based on self-administered questionnair es among a representative sample of adolescents enrolled in schools an d apprenticeship programs. We used exploratory analysis for identifyin g characteristics which set the drug user apart from non-users and per formed confirmatory multivariate logistic regression analysis to exami ne which variables remain independently associated with heroin or coca ine use. Results: In Switzerland, 3.1% of adolescents have taken heroi n or cocaine at least once in their life, and 27.7% have already used cannabis. Analysis of lifestyles and health of adolescents shows that young drug users present difficulties in integrating in society, have health problems and difficulties in relationships, situations which te nd to be less common among other adolescents. Yet, they also display m arked similarities, most notably in that over 70% had seen a physician in the past year. However, while 40% of the drug users expressed a ne ed for help with drug related problems, only 6% had actually talked ab out them with a physician. Characteristics that remained independently associated with heroin and cocaine use after controlling for confound ing factors were age, sex, nationality, type of education, feelings of suicide, past and present smoking, and use of cannabis. Conclusion: T he level of illicit drug use among Swiss adolescents is high compared to other European countries but lower than the United States. Drug-usi ng adolescents display a constellation of characteristics which should make it possible to identify them and offer help. Yet, even though th ey may have frequent contact with the health services, their drug prob lems are generally not recognized by the gatekeepers of the health ser vices and no specific aid is available to them. Drug prevention must b e intensified and medical doctors sensitized to the drug problems whic h adolescents may face.