EVOLUTION OF DRUG-ABUSE PROBLEMS AMONG ME XICO-CITY STUDENTS

The Mexican Institute of Psychiatry and the Ministry of Public Educati on have undertaken surveys in the last 20 years among high school stud ents in Mexico City and its metropolitan area; eight of such studies h ave been undertaken every 2 years. This paper presents a comparison of the three most recent surveys: 1989, 1991, 1993. The selection of the three samples followed the same procedure; the sources were registers of public and private schools of the Ministry of Public Education of high schools (secondary and preparatory) and technical schools from 9 to 12 years completed. The sample was bietapic: In the first stage, sc hools were selected, and in the second, the school groups to be survey ed. A self administered questionnaire that includes items elaborated i n collaboration with the World Health Organization, was used; its vali dity and reliability checks have been previously published. The propor tion of students that have used alcohol and tobacco increased through the three surveys in the use patterns: ever use, last year use and cur rent use. The number of current users of cocaine and inhalants increas ed significantly. A higher number of men had experimented with the 4 d rugs studied, in contrast with women. A higher number of girls used in halants. A higher proportion of drugs users were 17 years old or more, however there is a tendency for marihuana consumers to begin at an ea rlier age. The number of students stating that it is a ''great risk to use drugs'' and that their friends ''would disapprove if they use dru gs'' lowered from 1989 to 1993.