Alcohol addiction of adolescents and risk factors related to this habit.
Objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use among schoolchildren and to determine its factors. The study was conducted in schools of Kaunas city and its region among schoolchildren of 7th, 9th and 11th grades--overall 410 pupils. Most of schoolchildren (93.4%) acknowledged that they had used some alcohol drinks; 37.6% of boys and 27.3% of girls (p<0.05) used alcohol especially large number of times (40 and more). Every second pupil, irrespective of his sex, stated being intoxicated with alcohol in the last month. Main motives that induced to use the alcohol were: wish to relax, curiosity, having nothing to do as well as wish to experience the state of intoxication, wish not to differ from group friends. The logistic analysis demonstrated a statistically significant relation between alcohol use and smoking, and positive point of view to drugs and people who use them. The summarized data could serve in planning well-founded prevention programmes.


CONCLUSIONS
The alcohol addiction of schoolchildren at higher grades is very prevalent and correlates with smoking and drugs usage. Therefore, the implementation of effective health promotion programmes that include alcohol and drug prevention at school is urgently needed.
Bielskute
Jolita
J
Utenos College, Lithuania. jolitab@centras.lt
Zaborskis
Apolinaras
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors