What do Maltese students really think about drugs? KSU has just posted a report for the Beyond the Influence Drug Use and Regulation Survey, which was conducted as part of their Drug Awareness Campaign. The results might answer this question.
This research, which was commissioned by MISCO, was aimed at exploring (mostly) student’s perceptions on drug use, as well as local drug policies and finally, the impact that Covid-19 has had on all this. The study further elaborates these findings and more in the following sections:
Drug Use for Recreational Purposes
When asked, “Have you ever made use of drugs for recreational use? “- 67% percent of the respondents answered that they have used drugs recreationally and 59% said that they are still making use of recreational drugs.
But the real question is, which drugs are students using recreationally?
98% of respondents have tried cannabis, 46% have tried hallucinogens and 38% have tried stimulants. Interestingly, 56% of the respondents who have tried recreational drugs, did so between the ages of 17 and 19 years. 29% have done so when they were 16 years old – overall this section gained a higher response rate from the male demographic.
And the final question- why did they first take drugs?
77% did so out of curiosity, 61% for experience and 54% just wanted to have fun. Contrary to popular belief, only a whopping 4% of students tried drugs because of peer pressure.
Perceptions of Drug Use and Substance
What kind of influence can drug use have on ones mental and physical wellbeing? 75% of respondents agree that using drugs can negatively impact one’s physical well being. 78% believe that it can negatively influence mental health. Another finding which contradicts commonly held belief- 68% of respondents do not agree that cannabis is a gateway drug to harder substances. In fact, 31% consider cannabis to not be dangerous at all.
How would people perceive me if I take drugs?
77% of respondents disagree with the notion that using drugs can improve social image. That being said, most respondents agree with the therapeutic qualities of certain drugs for specific medical conditions.
How easily accessible are drugs?
81% consider cannabis to be easily accessible, 56% for cocaine and 45% for MDMA. 65% of the responses were unaware of the easy access to amphetamines.
The Impact of Covid-19
Do you think that Covid-19 has influenced substance use? 67% of respondents seem to think there’s been an increase in the number of substance users and 61% of drug users are using more frequently. These are quite shocking results.
Perceptions of Drug Laws and Regulations
A very spicy question at the moment- do you believe that recreational cannabis should legalised? A staggering 55% of respondents believe that it should not only be decriminalised but should be made legal. 88% of respondents agree with the recent legalisation of medical cannabis.
Drug Abusers- Patients or Criminals?
88% of respondents agree that drug abusers should be considered as patients rather than criminals. This was a perception shared by 90% of the male respondents and 86% of female respondents.
‘To legalise or not to legalise?’
By legalising drugs, 78% of respondents agreed that the black market would be weakened and 77% agreed that it would limit the distribution of harmful quality drugs. Furthermore, 71% agree that it could also lead to a reduction in drug-related crimes.
That being said, 50% of respondents believe that this would lead to an increase in consumption. 24% believe that legalisation will not influence consumption rates.
It’s refreshing to see this kind of data being gathered, it sets the record straight on where student opinions lie and clear up some misconceptions. Bring on more info KSU!
You can access the full report here.
Read more on ‘Beyond The Influence’ here.