NSfK:s 47th Research Seminar Oslo, Norway 2005 - Scandinavian ...

In cross tabulation are Chi-Square Tests used to analyse if significant differences are found
between groups. Multiple regression analysis were performed to determine what can predict if
youth are offered drugs or not. Following variables were entered into the model by step-wise
method and enter-method: gender; age; residence, in school, working, unemployed, schooling,
participation in somekind of education over the past 12 months, attitude toward the police,
and drug use, smoking and alcohol consumption over the past 12 months. The variables that
can predict if youth are offered drugs are: drug use and smoking over the past 12 months,
gender, attitude toward the police and schooling, they were dichotomized variables. The final
model are based on enter-method. Two outlayers that were more than three standard division
from the mean were excluded. This model was also tested by multinominal logistic
regression.
Multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to determine whether participation in
Police Prevention Programmes was significant factor in drug-use other than hash or marijuana
(0=never or seldom used other drugs; 1=sometimes or often used other drugs than hash or
marijuana) when controlling for gender, schooling and attitude to police. Each of the
independent variables, except attitude to police, was entered as a dichotomized variable. Two
outlayers that were more than three standard division from the mean were excluded. The
model is based on enter-method.
Conclusions
Alcohol consumption and drug use
About 12% of the participants had used hash or marijuana over the past 12 months and 7%
other drugs. Based on these questions it can be concluded that about 13% of young people,
age 18-20 years old, had used drugs over the past 12 months, more males (19%) than females
(8%). About 22% of the participants that drop-out of upper secondary school or not attend
upper secondary school had used drugs over the past 12 months but 11% of the participants
that were in upper secondary school, had completed upper secondary school or other. About
91% had drunk alcohol over the past 12 months. There is not significant differences by gender
or schooling between those that have drink alcohol and those that have not drink alcohol.
Access to drugs
Here are introduced the measurement that is called “Access to drugs” in order to understand
better the situation our youth are living in, in our Society, it is important to try to understand
the situation better than have been done in Iceland. According to Police Reports increase are
in reported narcotic cases over the last years (Reykjavik Police, 2004). Researches have
shown that by making it easier to buy alcohol increases the consumption of alcohol
(Lýðheilsutöð, 2005) and that 75% of youth 12-18 years old that had use alcohol or tobacco
reported an opportunity to try marijuana by age 18, and more than 85% of them made the
transition to marijuana use. Only about 25% of nonsmokers and nondrinkers were given an
opportunity to try marijuana by the same age (Martin, 2002/2003). Therefore easy access to
drugs can probably increase drug use.
Results from this research shows that among youth 18-20 years old in Iceland about 18% had
often been offered drugs, about 14% sometimes, about 30% seldom and about 38% never.
Significant differences are by gender and schooling (see table 1).
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