Friday, December 03, 2004

Teenagers and drugs in Spain

New figures released by the Spanish Minister of Health, Elena Salgado, yesterday indicate that drug-taking amongst Spanish teenagers continues to rise at a worrying rate and further confirms the need to revise the National Drugs Initiative.

The figures released yesterday are the result of a survey carried out by the government in secondary schools. Teenagers between 14 and 18 participated in the nationawide survey. According to the results, the number of teenagers who admit to taking cocaine is now four times as high as it was in 1994, and the number of people who smoke cannabis has doubled. 87 per cent of teenagers consider that it is easy to buy alcohol, 64 per cent find it easy to buy cannabis, and 53.8 per cent have no problem in getting sleeping tablets.

Anyone who has teenage children will be particularly worried by the results of this report, although not necessarily surprised. It is not unusual to see young teenagers smoking at the gates of secondary schools - private and state schools alike - and parents who try to exert more control over this age group will be used to having arguments with 12, 13 and 14-year olds about wanting to "go out" (the kind of argument which we didn't have with our parents until we were at least 16 or 17). It is not uncommon in Spanish towns to see young teenagers out on Saturday nights, drinking alchohol and smoking cannabis in big groups in parks in a relatively new phenomenon called in Spanish a "botellón" (literally, "big bottle").

The most worrying thing about the ridiculously high number of young teenagers who take drugs is that they do not see any danger related to it. Maybe this is because cannabis has always been relatively easy to get hold of in Spain, and alot of them have seen their parents smoking it. Or maybe it is because their parents and teachers don't explain the dangers to them in terms they can understand. Maybe parents don't talk to their children enough and don't have time to find out enough about what goes on at school or when they are out with friends. Maybe what used to be one of Spanish society's real strong points - the strength of the family unit - has ceased to be. Maybe society needs to think about what to offer this age group so that they don't start looking for excitement through damaging substances.....

Whatever the reasons, it seems obvious that, given the results of this very comprehensive survey (25,521 school children from 573 schools participated in it), urgent action must be taken - by parents, teachers and government together - to solve this very serious problem which threatens to ruin the lives of thousands of adolescents in Spain.

Related links:
New smoking laws in Spain
Drugs in Spain
Spanish Minister of Health, Elena Salgado
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posted by Euroresidentes at 9:56 AM

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

young teenagers who use drugs are nothing more than attention seeking idiots who have nothing betta to do with their life, honestly all they are doing is killing themself softly and everyone around them

1:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Drugs are never good. Unfortunately, almost everyone has a tendincy to take them. It is very addicting. Once you start it is almost impossible to stop. These teens need to find some help, along with the rest of the kids who take these unhealthy objects.

1:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

BOTELLON SONG´S VIDEO

ALTERNATIVE SPANISH MUSIC.

AUTOCANTANTES.

www.sonidoteca.com/mp3.html

PROHIBITED LARGE BOTTLE Cantautores Song of Alternative Author
They have prohibited the large bottle, in a called city Madrid,
the mayor cocaine has smoked of my Chinese
and to chulapo of the corner they have left it without chotís
the streets are gotten the wind up, the dogs are informers
music now is noise, are not left bars cheap
the sex is a secret, to drink is a sin
the targets we are good all the Moors are bad,

the twelve at night, you cannot give a drink
crazy cow in the market give fucking chicken
the meter has T.V, eats the jar to you
they distribute supplements, bulletins of the state...
Large bottle, Apple tree us fuck the large bottle
You did of Madrid an illusion, uaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! And now you march to you
It is difficult month...to follar, to chuscar, to prove good hashish
In this city...
The debate of porro is finished, the parliament is smoked...
They have stopped to the caliph in Two of May is tomorrow,
Manu has been informed Ciao!!!
The cars have legs, occupy the sidewalks,
Parkímeters and traps do the ugly streets month,
Taxes in the ass, of District no longer there are stores
Ciné rudes edges, the culture is made excrement,
The logs are worth paste, receive your security,
Your trimmed rights if you are Chinese or musulmén,
Cibeles amputated, the paupers without home,
The battered women, where is the daughter of Aznar?
Large bottle, Apple tree us fuck the large bottle
You made of Madrid a Uuaaaaaaaaaaah illusion!!!! And now you march to you
élites cocaine of wedding in the Gavana
The young people teem, does not have moved in malasaña
The wind smells of excrement, environmental Madrid
A gas of Chapapote covers all the city
The sign now is a disgust, of hippies with necktie
The red is very expensive, the house is not cheap
Sidereal brooms, money in the sewers
Policy of the fear, Moncloa is drunk
Large bottle...

4:46 AM  
Blogger David said...

It amazes me that those who've posted comments calling these teens idiots and saying they need help can't even spell or structure a sentence. There's nothing wrong with weed. Even if it was harmful, which there's not one case in history of someone dying from weed, it's their body to do with as they choose. If it's up to anybody else, it's up to their parents and if their parents allow them to do it, that's not for anyone else to say. Mind your own damn business!

6:56 PM  

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