Comparative characteristic of consumption of psychoactive substances by adolescent students of initial vocational education in Kazan and the Russian Federation

Abstract

Aim. To identify the patterns of psychoactive substances consumption among adolescent students of initial vocational educational institutions of Kazan compared to equivalent parameters among their peers in the whole across Russia.

Methods. Anonymous survey of adolescent students of initial vocational education in randomly chosen institutions (in Kazan and the Russian Federation - 17 cities from 5 federal districts).

Results. Analysis of prevalence, age-specific structure of initiation and reasons for consumption of psychoactive substances among teenagers aged 15 to 17, students of initial vocational educational institutions of Kazan, revealed that these parameters outnumber similar indicators in the Russian Federation. Prevalence of alcohol consumption among students of initial vocational educational institutions of Kazan was 81.3 per 100 boys and 75.0 per 100 girls, and in the Russian Federation - 59.7 per 100 boys and 63.1 per 100 girls, respectively (p <0.001). Also, the number of boys consuming alcohol in Kazan was significantly higher than the number of girls consuming alcohol. In the Russian Federation, on the contrary, the number of girls consuming alcohol is higher than boys (p <0.05). The reasons for initiation of alcohol consumption among male adolescents in Kazan are different from those among their peers in the whole across Russia. In Kazan the reason for alcohol consumption initiation for boys is «curiosity» (33.7%), and in Russia - «holidays and family celebration» (44.2%). Among adolescents in Kazan prevalence of tobacco use is also higher both among boys (72.8 per 100) and girls (52.9 per 100; p <0.001).

Conclusion. High level of alcohol and tobacco consumption among adolescent students of initial vocational educational institutions of Kazan requires additional special investigation of the reasons for and factors predisposing to this fact.

Keywords

adolescents / prevalence / alcohol / tobacco / drugs / consumption of psychoactive substances

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Skvortsova E.S., Postnikova L.K.