Every one in ten teenagers used some kind of drug before the age of 16, according to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) survey, which was also conducted in Montenegro.
According to data from ESPAD, the prevalence of the use of drugs for non-medical purposes, specifically anabolic steroids, is the highest in Montenegro, with a percentage of 2.7%.
“Looking at early initiation of substance use, where students use substances at the age of 13 or below, statistics tell us that 2.1% of youth at that age have tried cannabis, 0.6% ecstasy, 0.7% amphetamine or methamphetamine, and the same percentage applies to the use of cocaine – 0.7%. Compared to the average of other countries, which is 0.4% for the use of cocaine, Montenegro is one of the countries with the highest level of prevalence with 0.7%, and the same applies to the use of amphetamines (0.5% in other countries, 0.7% in Montenegro)”, the survey states.
In the previous year since the ESPAD survey, it has been shown that boys are more inclined to try psychoactive substances than girls (e.g. in the case of using cannabis, 11.4% of boys use it, compared to 7.3% of girls; in the case of ecstasy, 3 .4$ of boys compared to 2% of girls).
Also, boys and men report higher rates of licit and illicit drug use, particularly for more intense use.
According to data from the ESPAD, the prevalence of the use of drugs for non-medical purposes, specifically anabolic steroids, is the highest in Montenegro, with a percentage of 2.7%.
The report stated that the strategic and regulatory frameworks of Montenegro in the subject area were not fully aligned with EU standards. It also indicated that Montenegro has not adopted a new drug strategy since the previous strategy expired in 2020. The national early warning system is still not ready to connect with the EU early warning system, as it has limited operational capacities.
