Atitudinea și cunoștințele elevilor din cinci școli din Sibiu față de efectele pe termen scurt ale consumului de substanțe

• Main Author: Mihai Copăceanu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Expert Projects 2019-12-01
• Series: Sociologie Românească
• Subjects: alcohol; adolescence; school; addiction; marijuana
• Online Access: http://revistasociologieromaneasca.ro/sr/article/view/439

Romania ranks 5th in the top of countries with excessive alcohol consumption. Young people are a vulnerable group. 253 young people (151 girls and 102 boys) with an average age of 16.35 years from 5 schools in Sibiu answered a 30-items questionnaire. The results demonstrated the following: students consider that drinking as a problem among them, 95% think that they can easily get alcohol anywhere, parents are permissive to the alcohol consumption by minors (74% said they know parents who allow minors to drink alcohol). Young people begin to consume alcohol at the age of 14. In this group of adolescents, beer is the most consumed drink followed by wine and vodka. The main reasons for consumption are the influence of friends, personal problems, family issues, curiosity or getting a good state. There is misconception around marijuana use. Students have knowledge of the effects of alcohol intoxication, and most have said the first solution is to communicate with parents. Punishments are still present in Romanian culture and the specialized approach is not seen as a prime solution. However, the study confirms the lack of specialized community services to assist young drug users and the inadequacy of anti-alcohol programs in the school. Finally, students who are abstinent responded that also their friends do not drink alcohol. The results may be useful to carry out further in-depth studies and develop specialist interventions to prevent alcohol and drug use among young people.