Drugs and leisure activities among Eastern European young people

Smoking and alcohol use among Latvian 15-16-year-olds have traditionally been among the highest in Europe as shown by the international comparative study ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other drugs).

Results from the most recent data collection round in 2011 suggests cannabis use among students in Latvia has significantly increased – nearly one in four 15-16 year old students has smoked cannabis at least once in their lifetime.

At the micro and meso levels cannabis use is partly explained by lack of meaningful leisure-time activities, relations in family, perceived risks and substance use among friends.  On the macro level indicators of social capital such as subjective well-being and social trust in society are found to be correlated with substance use.

In this article, by using ESPAD data from several Eastern European countries, multi-level analysis, indicating factors that influence cannabis use both on individual and country level are discussed.