engleski

Drug Abuse in the Republic of Croatia and National Program on Drug Control

Aim. To identify psychosocial indicators in micro- and macro-milieu that reveal adolescents at high risk of substance abuse. Methods. The research was carried out on a representational sample of high school students from the entire Croatia (N=2,823). We constructed a questionnaire to assess a student’s socio-economic status, family functioning, school functioning, satisfaction with life, and relationships with friends. Results. The most important variables by which students in the group at risk of substance abuse (tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use) differ from the students in the group not at risk are: a) respondents’ attitudes towards their friends and acquaintances who smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use drugs; b) gender; and c) truancy. Also, adolescents at risk, in comparison with adolescents not at risk, function worse in a family and school millieu and are less satisfied with their life in general. Conclusion. Smoking cigarettes, alcohol consumption, and use of drugs are mainly associated with the use of respective substances within a group of peers. Therefore, to reduce the abuse of psychoactive substances, it is necessary to strenghten resistance in an individual to the social pressure of peers and pay attention to the quality of relationship between adolescents and their parents and teachers.

addictive behavior; adolescent behavior; alcohol drinking; Croatia; drug costs; drug and narcotic control; heroin dependence; marijuana abuse; opioid-related disorders; program evaluation; smoking; tobacco

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