There is a higher prevalence of drug use by students from private schools than those from public schools with use of drugs occurring at a younger age, according to a survey done in 2013.
Use of cocaine and marijuana is occurring at a younger age than before, the study published by the Organisation of American States’ (OAS) Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission says. The survey was conducted during the May-June period of 2013 among 1890 students from 28 secondary schools across the country.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security, the report presents key findings related to the consumption of licit and illicit drugs among secondary school students in Guyana based on the information collected from a sample of secondary school students from both public and private schools across the country. It said that among the findings were increases in the average age of first time use for tobacco, alcohol, crack and ecstasy when compared to the results of a previous survey done in 2007. Further, the survey revealed that students were using marijuana and cocaine at a marginally lower age when the two survey results were compared.
Speaking at the launch of the full report yesterday,
