Abstract

TRIGO, Sofia; SILVA, Susana; FRAGA, Sílvia  and  RAMOS, Elisabete. Social representations of adolescents about drug use. Arq Med [online]. 2015, vol.29, n.2, pp.39-45. ISSN 2183-2447.

This study aims at analyzing the social representations of adolescents about drug use. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13/14-year-old adolescents, registered at every school of Porto during 2003/2004. cocaine, ecstasy, hashish and cannabis were the best known drugs. The most frequently reported reasons/motivations for starting drug use were personal problems, curiosity and peers’ influence. Adolescents justified regular using of drugs with the lack of information and surveillance at schools, the absence of prohibitionist drug policies and the lack of social support. Preventive efforts should focus on capacitate the adolescents with skills and on promoting health literacy, by acting on individual and social variables associated with drug use.

Keywords : social representations; drug use; drug-seeking behavior; adolescents.

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