Knowledge and consumption of psychoactive substances in middle-school, high-school and university students.

To complete their investigations on aspects of problems concerning youth (alchohol, smoking, etc.), the Authors examined the knowledge and motivations which lead young people to using psychotropic substances, and the possible risks deriving from such use. The research was carried out by means of a quaestionnaire distributed to a sample of 1833 students from the University of Camerino and from the middle and high schools of certain towns in The Marche (Camerino, San Severino, Tolentino and Jesi). Analysis of the data showed that a relatively high degree of their families (47.5%) frequently take drugs, above all (around 18%) for insomnia and depression. Of the population sample, 22.5% take drugs not prescribed by a doctor and 5.8% of these together with alcoholic drinks. Of the students interviewed, 13.7% said they had direct experience with psychotropic drugs; this is presumably an underestimate in view of the high percentage of young people addicted to drugs (53.5%), of whom approximately 20% were attending their schools. In addition, the authors emphasize the inadequate knowldege of the concept of "addiction" whereby young people are led to understimating the consequences of consuming modest doses of cation, in particular in view of the ever increasing use by young people of new types of drugs such as ecstasy, etc.