Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): ADDITIVES BEHAVIOUR IN STUDENT POPULATION.
This article was prepared in response to the challenge issued by a comrade, I suggested to address the LN, the subject of addictive behaviors of our young learners, taking into account his experience as a citizen and as an officer of GNR, worrying it especially cannabis use, by the student population.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
To speak on this subject, nothing better, of the director Intervention Service in behavior and additives in Dependencies (SICAD), John Goulão, which gave the Express an interview, published in the edition of 24 of September, with the title "There is a huge tolerance on the consumption of cannabis".
As the title of the interview suggests, cannabis use by our young students, Director concerned or do SICAD, stating that, "we had a situation more or less calamitous with the consumption of heroin. Much of the device that was mounted was effective in the face of this phenomenon, but relativized the importance of products derived from cannabis. We never had a speech that focused largely on the effects of this drug.
"But the interview not only addresses the problem of cannabis consumption by the population student, taking as a motto called the report "European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (sword)", presenting the results of the 6th data collection performed in Europe, in 2015 and marks the 20th anniversary of the 1st data collection carried out in 1995, It was applied 96.043 questionnaires to students 35 European countries, and 24 Member States of the European Union (EU), the entirety of which falls during the last 20 years have reached the 600.000 students, making ESPAD more extensive data collection performed on alcohol, tobacco and drugs by young people in Europe.
This issue of addictive behavior has already been addressed, in the article entitled "Vacation, finalists, consumption, GNR e Michael Moore", where we know the work of the military of the Safe School Centers (NES) developing with the school communities, in order to make the schools constituted as safe places and tend to drug-free.
The task of the NES is essentially preventive, deterrent and educational, performing schools in their responsibility, various information campaigns on additives consumption, It is the most visible action "Operation Spring Break", with the aim of preventing the risk behaviors associated with drug use and alcohol, during travel finalists, held in the Easter holidays by finalist secondary students.
We also had occasion to point out that the so-called "Law of Decriminalization" (lei 30/2000 of 29 November), It meant that Portugal was included in restricted lot of countries where drug use is not a crime, having the "Portuguese Model", It is constituted as an example to follow, with regard to combating trafficking and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, leading the American director Michael Moore in his latest movie called "Where to Invade Next" stated Portugal as an example to be followed by US, regarding the decriminalization of drug use.
After this apart, We returned to the ESPAD to mention that started in 1995 due to lack of comparable data on substance use among European adolescents, having so aim from collecting data on the consumption of addictive substances, by students 15 and 16 years, in many European countries as possible, repeating the study every four years, having the year 1995 as a starting point.
With regard to the conclusions relating to Portugal, it should be noted that of the eight major variáveisestudadas: Consumption of snuff us last 30 days; Alcohol consumption in the last 30 days; Consumption a single episode of five or more drinks, we last 30 days; If you have used cannabis (marijuana,); If you have consumed other illicit drugs, than cannabis (ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, Ou outros hallucinogens LSD and GHB);If you have consumed tranquilizers or sedatives without prescription; If you have inhaled some substance with the intention of getting "stoned"; If you have consumed new psychoactive substances (see chart), Portuguese students had lower registers or in line with the average of the countries studies, in all variables.
The most striking difference was recorded for consumption in a single episode of five or more drinks, we last 30 days, It has been reported for only 20% Portuguese students, compared to the average 35%, as well as alcohol consumption in recent 30 days, which registered a value of 42%, below the global average, which is 48%. Still below average are inhaling substances to get "stoned" and the use of psychoactive substances. The records are in the middle, are tobacco consumption in recent 30 days, or consumption inalantes, or cannabis, the use of other drugs, than cannabis and the use of tranquillizers or sedatives without prescription, concluding that the Portuguese students report a lower consumption of addictive substances than other students of the countries studied in the ESPAD.
On these findings, apparently positive, We transcribe the words of the Director of SICAD, which states that "the causes that lead to consumption are multifactorial and leading to its reduction also. Several measures have been taken towards reducing supply, as raising the legal age for 18 years in the case of alcohol and restrictions on where you can smoke. We do not know to what extent the financial crisis and the decline in the purchasing power affected. Then there are fashions and trends that go beyond the. In this very globalized world, There consumptions that go up and down in the European context and we walked there in the middle. We also want to believe that the preventive work among young people has resulted."
We end with the release of the event called "Meeting 'Decriminalization 15 years later'", which will be held on 8 and 9 November 2016, in the auditorium of the Municipal Library Almeida Garrett, no Porto, and aims to mark the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of Law 30/2000 of 29 November and putting the success of the "Portuguese Model", can not forget, that for the success of this model, also greatly contribute Commissions for Deterrence Drug Addiction (CDT), who celebrated last day 1 July, 15 years old, and to fulfill its mission, to promote deterrence of psychoactive substances, They rely on the partnership, irreplaceable, da GNR e da PSP, constituting thus the CDT as a unique service, national and international reference, the operationalization of the "Law of decriminalization", whose greatest effort, like we were dedicated to eradicating cannabis use in our student population.
