Psychoactive substance use among adolescents
Regular collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of data on psychoactive substance use among young people are important activities to inform public health policy and facilitate the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health interventions to reduce the burden related to psychoactive substance use.
While some data on psychoactive substance use among young people and adolescents are available in high-income countries, similar information on alcohol and other psychoactive substances is not available to the same extent in less resourced countries. The WHO Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was established to fill this gap, collecting data on behavioural risk factors and protective factors in low and middle income countries. Among the risk factors which are assessed in the GSHS are the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.
To facilitate comparisons of countries belonging to the same WHO region, fact sheets on the use of psychoactive substances among 13-15 year old students were created for the WHO African Region and the WHO Region of the Americas. The fact sheets present data from GSHS surveys carried out between 2004 and 2009.
Fact sheets on psychoactive substance use among adolescents in the WHO African Region and the WHO Region of the Americas
African Region
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Prevalence of current drinking
pdf, 122kb -
Prevalence of alcoholic drinks
pdf, 111kb -
Prevalence of lifetime drunkenness
pdf, 109kb -
First drink of alcohol before the age of 14 years
pdf, 120kb -
Prevalence of alcohol-related problems during lifetime
pdf, 122kb -
Prevalence of lifetime drug use
pdf, 120kb
Region of the Americas
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Prevalence of current drinking
pdf, 129kb -
Prevalence of alcoholic drinks
pdf, 120kb -
Prevalence of lifetime drunkenness
pdf, 114kb -
First drink of alcohol before the age of 14 years
pdf, 124kb -
Prevalence of alcohol-related problems during lifetime
pdf, 122kb -
Prevalence of lifetime drug use
pdf, 129kb