The Knowledge about Drugs, Attitudes towards Them and Drug Use Rates of High School Students

Abstract

A survey of attitudes towards drugs, knowledge about them and the use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit and psychoactive drugs was conducted among 4,693 high school students in Metropolitan Toronto. Males knew slightly more about drugs than females and had more permissive attitudes towards them. Knowledge level and permissive attitudes tended to increase with grade level. Knowledge scores also increased, but attitudes became less permissive with increasing academic standing. However, differences between drug users and nonusers in knowledge and attitude were larger than differences related to social and demographic characteristics. Users, especially of illicit drugs, had higher knowledge scores and more permissive attitudes than nonusers. Knowledge and attitude scores were closely related. Students with high knowledge scores had more permissive attitudes than those with low knowledge scores. Questions were raised concerning the value of providing factual information as a method of deterring drug use.