Insights and Recommendations for Fighting Substance Use and Addiction

Abstract

The Northern Cyprus Prime Ministry’s Anti-drug Commission European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) program is an excellent initiative to gain in-depth knowledge about youth substance use to enable improved prevention and substance abuse treatment efforts. Comprehensive substance use data were collected from 3091 fifteen-sixteen-year-old high school students in Northern Cyprus. These data provide insight into the types of drugs adolescents are using, when substance use is initiated, the frequency and route of substance use, and many other important factors to direct the appropriate and efficient use of limited resources to reduce drug use and addiction. The findings of this research provide the Northern Cyprus Anti-drug Commission the data necessary to develop a better, more comprehensive assessment of the challenges of adolescent substance use and improved prevention and treatment strategies. It is particularly crucial to stay abreast of constantly changing trends in the availability of and desire for different psychoactive substances, especially with the worldwide introduction of more than 900 novel psychoactive substances. One recurring theme is that educational institutions play a crucial role in substance use prevention. It is imperative that the Northern Cyprus Anti-drug Commission foster close collaborations with schools and primary care physicians to educate and communicate with youth and their families about the negative health and behavioral effects of substance use. Improvements in data collection and the ability to evaluate longitudinal outcomes is critical to enhancing the value of the ESPAD report. Based on the current available summary data format, relevant microdata cannot be accessed and detailed and comparative analyses between variables cannot be made. It is essential that these efforts continue each year to provide the needed longitudinal data to guide Northern Cyprus’ fight against adolescent substance use.