With new social realities such as the development of the entertainment hub and prevalent stress associated with University life, many students incidentally resort to regular unhealthy drug use. When treating this topic, it is essential that one looks at three main types of drugs; cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs.

12.2% of students smoke regularly, 9.2% smoke occasionally and 78.6% never smoke. Of the percentage to smoke the majority show a will to stop smoking in the near or distant future but 20.8% do not show any wishes to do so. Yet what is most revealing in this area is that a large number of people state that less stress would help them beat their addiction, while the second factor is belief in a need for more will power. Ironically awareness of health risks, an increase in cigarette price, quitting schemes and medical advice where not prioritised as help in deterring the addiction.

Yet, when it comes to alcohol use, the percentages are far greater with 11% consuming alcohol daily and 79% drinking occasionally or during the weekends. Only a minority of 11% of the students never drink at all. Male students and single students are heavier drinkers than their female and relationship counterparts. Another point of worthy notice is that 38.1% of students drink 6 or more drinks in one night to socialise, while those drinking 3-5 are 28.8% and 27.9% drinking 1-2 drinks. 56.4% of students have taken more than 6 drinks at least more than once a month and 52.3% have stated to have participated in binge drinking activities. When it comes to drink-driving, 17.5% have confessed that they have driven a vehicle after heavy alcohol consumption at least once. A quarter of the respondents have stated difficulties encountered due to prevalent alcohol use with the most commonly mentioned being of problems with academic studies and others including physically injuring themselves or another person, dangerous driving and engaging in unprotected sexual activity or illicit substance abuse. Similarly to cigarette smoking, less stress was mostly mentioned to be able to curb the amount of alcohol use with a different area of entertainment coming second, while the practices mentioned above were hardly deemed important.

The most worrying statistics are related to illicit substance abuse. 10.1% of the respondents confessed using them at least once in the last month and 17.3% in the last year. Cannabis and cocaine are the drugs of most common use with the former having been used by 19.9% and the latter by 9.6%. Yet other drugs have been stated to have been used with heroin, deemed as the most dangerous and most addictive drug having been used by 1% of the student population. Less stress was cited once again as an incentive to decrease drug abuse but differently from the above- mentioned. Awareness of risks and health issues regarding drug use placed second. Yet again rehabilitation and psychological services weren’t given much importance.

These 3 practices are commonly experienced amongst friends, while smoking is the most commonly done alone. They are also seen to have been started at a minor age i.e. less than 18 years of age. Most students start drinking at the age of 15, smoking at 16 and drug use starts at 17.

With this in mind education regarding drug use should be morphed to tackle the problem more effectively. An effective proposal was that of teaching ways to gain control over an addiction rather than the risks related to excessive drug use. It also congratulated the work done by KSU in the formation of a health policy and believes that a hard copy should be distributed amongst students to increase awareness which is in dire need.

Drug Use amongst University Students - Alex Cachia Zammit

With new social realities such as the development of the entertainment hub and prevalent stress associated with University life, many students incidentally resort to regular unhealthy drug use. When treating this topic, it is essential that one looks at three main types of drugs; cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs.

12.2% of students smoke regularly, 9.2% smoke occasionally and 78.6% never smoke. Of the percentage to smoke the majority show a will to stop smoking in the near or distant future but 20.8% do not show any wishes to do so. Yet what is most revealing in this area is that a large number of people state that less stress would help them beat their addiction, while the second factor is belief in a need for more will power. Ironically awareness of health risks, an increase in cigarette price, quitting schemes and medical advice where not prioritised as help in deterring the addiction.

Yet, when it comes to alcohol use, the percentages are far greater with 11% consuming alcohol daily and 79% drinking occasionally or during the weekends. Only a minority of 11% of the students never drink at all. Male students and single students are heavier drinkers than their female and relationship counterparts. Another point of worthy notice is that 38.1% of students drink 6 or more drinks in one night to socialise, while those drinking 3-5 are 28.8% and 27.9% drinking 1-2 drinks. 56.4% of students have taken more than 6 drinks at least more than once a month and 52.3% have stated to have participated in binge drinking activities. When it comes to drink-driving, 17.5% have confessed that they have driven a vehicle after heavy alcohol consumption at least once. A quarter of the respondents have stated difficulties encountered due to prevalent alcohol use with the most commonly mentioned being of problems with academic studies and others including physically injuring themselves or another person, dangerous driving and engaging in unprotected sexual activity or illicit substance abuse. Similarly to cigarette smoking, less stress was mostly mentioned to be able to curb the amount of alcohol use with a different area of entertainment coming second, while the practices mentioned above were hardly deemed important.

The most worrying statistics are related to illicit substance abuse. 10.1% of the respondents confessed using them at least once in the last month and 17.3% in the last year. Cannabis and cocaine are the drugs of most common use with the former having been used by 19.9% and the latter by 9.6%. Yet other drugs have been stated to have been used with heroin, deemed as the most dangerous and most addictive drug having been used by 1% of the student population. Less stress was cited once again as an incentive to decrease drug abuse but differently from the above- mentioned. Awareness of risks and health issues regarding drug use placed second. Yet again rehabilitation and psychological services weren’t given much importance.

These 3 practices are commonly experienced amongst friends, while smoking is the most commonly done alone. They are also seen to have been started at a minor age i.e. less than 18 years of age. Most students start drinking at the age of 15, smoking at 16 and drug use starts at 17.

With this in mind education regarding drug use should be morphed to tackle the problem more effectively. An effective proposal was that of teaching ways to gain control over an addiction rather than the risks related to excessive drug use. It also congratulated the work done by KSU in the formation of a health policy and believes that a hard copy should be distributed amongst students to increase awareness which is in dire need.

Alexander Cachia Zammit