Sat, Feb 11 2012

One third of students smoke regularly

Thu, Feb 22 2001 13:00 CET

byDaniela Vassileva

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NEARLY 3,234 Bulgarian students took part in a survey measuring use of alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs among 16-year-old schoolchildren in 30 European countries.

The results of the European School Survey (ESPAD `99) were announced on Tuesday. Half of the students from all the countries admitted they had smoked at least once in their lives. In Greenland, the Faeroe Islands, Lithuania and Russia 50 per cent of the students had smoked 40 or more cigarettes, which was classified as regular smoking. Bulgaria rated fifth in this group, with 35 per cent of the students smoking regularly.

Denmark and Great Britain came out as the countries with highest alcohol usage among 16 year-old children. In almost all countries, about 50 per cent of the students claimed to have drunk alcohol more than 40 times.

In Bulgaria alcohol usage was estimated at 16 per cent. That indicator was lowest in Cyprus, Rumania, Portugal and France.

Usage of drugs among youth was highest in Great Britain. In Bulgaria 15 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls had used some kind of drugs. Most popular were cannabis, heroin and hashish. It was estimated also that boys used drugs more often than girls.

National co-ordinator of the project psychologist Anina Chileva said: "The most frequent problems cited by children are alcohol abuse, getting robbed or hospitalised, and poor schooling." Unprotected sex was also mentioned among these.

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