RESUMO
Two surveys were carried out among high school students from the Doubs region in 1982 and 1985. Their objective was to determine how legal and illegal drugs were used and their importance among the target population. Alcohol was found to be more common among the male population and its consumption remained stable during the 1982-1985 period. The use of tobacco, however, increased dramatically, especially among females attending vocational schools. The surveys also revealed that the age at which smoking was attempted for the first time has lowered, family and school environment playing an important role. Of those students who smoked, 69% had parents and a close friend who smoked, whereas 16% had none in their immediate environment who smoked. It was noted that young girls used more often psycho-active medicines than boys. A noticeable increase in their use became evident especially in vocational schools. Of those students questioned, 43% of junior high school students, 10.3% of vocational school students and 14.8% of senior high school students, stated that they used illegal drugs and that their accessibility permitted a wide use of these products. Whatever the age or sex the following associations were the most significant: drugs-tobacco, drugs-alcohol, tobacco-alcohol. Health education must therefore make the promotion of preventive strategies, concerning legal and illegal drugs, a priority in the education of adolescents.
