Australian middle school students are turning away from alcohol tobacco and taking sedatives (Pioneer Sun Photo)
A new study shows that more Australian middle school students are taking sedatives for recreational purposes. 1 / 5 admitted that they had taken sleeping pills or sedatives without medical reasons.
According to the Pioneer Sun, a (Cancer Council) study by the Australian Cancer Society showed that despite a declining trend in alcohol and tobacco consumption among middle school students, sedatives for no medical reasons were slowly rising.
A total of 20% of students between the ages of 12 and 17 admitted to taking sleeping pills, sedatives or benzodiazepines for entertainment purposes, including diazepam. In the three years ending in 2017, this proportion increased by 2%.
Four percent of the students who admitted taking sedatives took them within the week before the interview.
The most common source of sedatives for middle school students was parents (65%), followed by doctors' prescriptions (18%), followed by other individuals (6%).
Australian high school students reported a slight decline in marijuana use, but 17% of students admitted to taking the illicit drug.
The use of other prohibited drugs was flat. About 1 / 50 of middle school students have taken opiates, cocaine or MDMA. At the same time, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco declined slightly.
According to the report, 2 / 3 of high school student tried drinking, and parents were the main suppliers. Most middle school students never smoke (82%), up 5% from 2011.
However, there are still 1 / 20 middle school students are smokers, cigarette sources are mostly friends. There are also many middle school students (18%) who buy their own cigarettes, although they have not reached the legal age of buying tobacco.