Berlin - The consumption of tobacco and alcohol among young people is generally declining. When it comes to illegal drugs, cannabis remains by far the most widely used substance. This emerges from the representative survey of “The Drug Affinity of Young People in the Federal Republic of Germany 2015”, which was presented today in Berlin.
“The results of the drug affinity study show that we are on the right way, ”said the drug commissioner of the federal government Marlene Mortler . " Smoking is no longer part of the lifestyle of young people in Germany."
Currently smoking 7.8 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. The quota of smokers in this age group is thus at the lowest level of all studies that the BZgA has carried out since the 1970s. At the same time, the number of adolescents who have never smoked in their lives continued to rise and is now at its highest level at 79 percent. The smoking rate among the 18 to 25 year-olds has also continued to decline at 26 percent, while the number Smoking rate has risen to 39 percent. "This is very positive development overall," said Heidrun Thaiss, head of the BzGA.
Mortler referred to the activities of the federal government in tobacco prevention: On April 1st, mandatory picture warnings were introduced on cigarette packs. “We also need ban on outdoor tobacco advertising. Science shows that tobacco advertising posters appeal to young people in particular. ”She was confident about the implementation of tobacco advertising ban.
Binge drinking is still problem When it comes to alcohol, the drug affinity study shows that adolescents and young adults drink less alcohol. Of the 12 to 17 year olds, ten percent and of the 18 to 25 year olds 34 percent state that they drink alcohol regularly, i.e. at least once week (2005: 12 to 17 year olds 18.6 Percent, 18 to 25 year olds 40.5 percent). Around one in three stated that they had never drunk alcohol in their life. Although the prevalence of heavy drinking is declining in some cases, it is still high overall: 16 percent of male and 12.5 percent of female adolescents say that they drink themselves into binge at least once month, among 18 to 25-year-olds it is 45 percent for men and 33 percent for women.
"Too many young adults consume cannabis - it is still by far the most widely consumed illegal drug, ”emphasized BzGA director Thaiss. Almost ten percent of 12 to 17 year olds declare that they have used cannabis at some point in their life.Among the 18 to 25 year olds it is already 34.5 percent. In this age group, however, the number of those who have used other illicit drugs at some point in their lives (lifetime prevalence) is much lower: it is 4.0 percent for ecstasy, 4.0 percent for amphetamines, and 2 percent for cocaine, 9 percent and for the new psychoactive substances, the so-called "legal highs" at 2.2 percent. As part of the survey, the lifetime prevalence of crystal meth was also asked for for the first time. Here, 0.6 percent of 18 to 25 year olds state that they have consumed the substance at least once in their life.
Drugs commissioner against the legalization of cannabis "Who in this Situation calls for the full legalization of cannabis, which ensures that even more young people take up the joint, ”emphasized the drug commissioner. The legalization of cannabis for adults, for example in the US state of Colorado, has shown that this also has an impact on the cannabis consumption of adolescents.
The drug affinity study of the BZgA has been carried out at regular intervals since 1973 and is the central instrument for recording trends in drug consumption among young people in Germany. For the 2015 drug affinity study, 7,004 people between the ages of 12 and 25 were interviewed between March and June 2015.
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