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Drug use among a sample of juvenile detainees

Abstract

This paper examines the drug taking patterns of a group of juveniles who were detained by police and interviewed as part of the Drug Use Monitoring Australia (DUMA) project, from 1999 to 2002. Most juveniles (around two thirds) also gave a urine sample that was analysed for six classes of drugs. This paper reports on the 493 juveniles whose details are in the DUMA database. For this group of juveniles, drug use is prevalent. Three quarters of the juveniles reported using at least one illicit drug at some time in their lives, and 46% had used two or more drugs, most frequently cannabis and amphetamines. Over half (57%) had used illicit drugs in the past 30 days. The paper also contains data on the schooling and housing status of the young people interviewed, age at first use of drugs, participation in drug treatment programs, and most serious offence by the use of drugs. The analysis shows that those testing positive to cocaine, amphetamines or opiates were more likely to be charged with a property offence than those who tested negative, and juveniles who tested positive to these drugs self reported committing proportionally more offences than those who did not test positive. The average age of initiation for cannabis use was about 13 years. In addition, female juvenile detainees were more likely than male counterparts to test positive to heroin, amphetamines or cocaine. Few juvenile detainees (13%) reported accessing treatment. While a note of caution should be sounded because the sample is not representative of the general juvenile offending population, the findings highlight the need for continued commitment to early prevention and intervention strategies, and demonstrate the importance of the juvenile justice system as a point of referral to drug treatment.

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