Alcohol intoxication and drug use among teen-agers.

Abstract

Students (662) from junior high schools and 1053 from senior high schools completed a questionnaire on alcohol and illicit drug use. In city A, a predominantly lower-middle- and middle-class semi-industrial city, and town B, a middle- and upper-middle-class residential town, 46 and 47% of the senior-high-school students and 25 and 23% of the junior-high-school students were moderate drinkers (during the previous yr had become intoxicated on beer or wine only or had become intoxicated fewer than 5 times on distilled spirits), and 26 and 16% of the seniors and 7 and 13% of the juniors were heavy drinkers (intoxicated or distilled spirits at least 5 times), respectively, the rest were classified as light drinkers (includes abstainers). In all schools, except town B junior high schools, significantly fewer light than moderate drinkers and fewer moderate than heavy drinkers had used illicit drugs. In city A 11% of the moderate drinkers and 36% of the heavy drinkers reported amphetamine use, 12 and 31% barbiturates, 7 and 27% (LSD, 61 and 88% marihuana and 24 and 53% less common drugs such as cocaine, hashish, mescaline and methaqualone. In town B the respective proportions were 8 and 34% (amphetamines), 7 and 37% (barbiturates), 6 and 24% (LSD), 67 and 95% (marihuana) and 26 and 73% (less common drugs).