A study from the Junta de Andalucia shows that that the age at which young people start using drugs is falling. The average age at which youngsters first use cannabis has dropped to 17.2 from 18.2 in 2006 and the age for first cocaine use has gone down to 18.6 from 20.3 in 2006. This negative trend is repeated in ecstasy and amphetamine use. Heroin use has shown a rise in the average age of first time users from18.8 years old in 2005 to 20.4.
The study, a result of interviews with more than 2.400 people aged between 12 and 64 living in 87 municipalities in Andalucia, does however show a slight reduction in the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, the most widely used substances. After the introduction of anti-smoking laws here in Spain, the number of people smoking habitually has dropped from 34.4% to 32.4 %. The proportion of risk drinkers, defined as those drinking more than four beers or two spirit and mixer combinations daily, has gone down by 0.8% in the last two years.
There are also more people recognising their addictions, with 18,000 having attended for the first time one of the 122 centres financed by the Junta.
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