Identifying Adolescent Drug Users: Results of a National Survey on Adolescent Health in Switzerland

Using data from a 1992-93 national survey on adolescent health in Switzerland (n=9,273), an exploratory analysis was done to identify characteristics which distinguished drug users from non-users. 3.1% of adolescents had used heroin or cocaine at least once, & 27.7% had used cannabis. 12% of hard drug users reported suicidal ideation & suicide attempts compared to 2% of non-users. Some factors that were associated with hard drug use included being male, marijuana use, & feelings of suicide.