Smoking, drugs and alcohol in Dublin secondary schools.

In the spring of 1970 the Irish Cancer Society carried out a repeat survey on the smoking habits of secondary school-children in Dublin. The purpose of this study was to obtain data on children's current smoking behaviour which could be compared with a previous study, and to assess children's attutude towards smoking. From a list of Dublin secondary schools, a 20% random sample was picked and self completing questionnaires were issued. As well as eliciting smoking behaviours, a number of questions were asked on drugs and drug taking. Over 9 per cent of the boys and 6 per cent of the girls stated that they had been offered drugs. The regular smokers were more prone to come in contact with drugs than the non-smokers. Cannabis was by far the commonest drug taken, and eleven of the sample (9 boys and 2 girls) stated that they had taken heroin, morphine or opium