Consumo de cannabis en universitariosetapas de adquisición

Resumo

Cannabis is the illicit drug most widely used in the world (UN, 2011). After twenty years of increased consumption, there has recently been a decline or stabilization in use among young people and European adolescents (EMCDDA, 2011). However, given the impact that can result from its consumption in the health of the young, especially if it’s accompanied by the use of other drugs that can affect their development and learning, further investigation of cannabis remains as a priority. The main objective of this thesis is to determinate the prevalence and pattern of cannabis consumption in a sample of 2.137 university students from Girona aged between 17 and 35 years, and to consider some of the variables in this drug-taking. Quantitative methodology is used, as well as an own designed questionary which has been applied to the sample. The results indicate that 20,4% of participants are defined as cannabis consumers (24% males / 17,2% females). At the same time, while the age of the young is increasing, there are a smaller proportion of non cannabis consumers who have never tried the substance. The role of the consumer status of close friends and family is relevant on the age of first experimentation, the age of general consumption and on the young’s general consumption behaviour. Risk perception of cannabis is associated with the consumption status of the young consumer, so consumers and quitters consider less dangerous to use this substance compared with nonusers. As the youth goes through the different acquisition stages of cannabis (Pallonen, Prochaska, Velicer, Prokhorov and Smith, 1998) value of the negative aspects of the use of this substance decreases and raises the positive ones, while it also increases the degree of temptation to consume. These results show the need to avoid or delay the age of onset of cannabis consume, specially among children, to consider the youth's behaviour concerning to promote healthy behaviours, and to increase the perception of risk from consumption of this substance by providing them with adequate information about their effects and health implications