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Population of university students are at increased risk of experimenting and substance abuse. A study conducted among 304 (59.5% of females) first year medical students at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, in the academic year 2015/2016 showed a prevalence of binge drinking of 72.4%, respectively. Consumption of the first alcoholic drink for most of the students (44.4%) was at the age of 15-16 years, while they were minors, and yet able to buy alcohol even though it is forbidden by law in Croatia. 10.8% smoked daily, and 27.7% of medical students reported experience with marijuana. Possible cause of these findings could be that, despite the law, smoking and drinking are socially acceptable in Croatia, while marijuana is perceived as easily available.
Pejnović Franelić I, Markelić M., Muslić Lj, et al. Europsko istraživanje o pušenju, pijanju i uzimanju droga među učenicima - ESPAD The European School survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, Prikaz hrvatskih nacionalnih rezultata 2015. godine. Zagreb: Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo; 2016.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
27 November 2018
Marjeta Majer
MD, PhD, School and adolescent medicine specialist
Neda Pjevač, Vera Musil, Jureša Vesna
University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health
Re: Secondhand effects of alcohol use among university students: computerised survey
Population of university students are at increased risk of experimenting and substance abuse. A study conducted among 304 (59.5% of females) first year medical students at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, in the academic year 2015/2016 showed a prevalence of binge drinking of 72.4%, respectively. Consumption of the first alcoholic drink for most of the students (44.4%) was at the age of 15-16 years, while they were minors, and yet able to buy alcohol even though it is forbidden by law in Croatia. 10.8% smoked daily, and 27.7% of medical students reported experience with marijuana. Possible cause of these findings could be that, despite the law, smoking and drinking are socially acceptable in Croatia, while marijuana is perceived as easily available.
Pejnović Franelić I, Markelić M., Muslić Lj, et al. Europsko istraživanje o pušenju, pijanju i uzimanju droga među učenicima - ESPAD The European School survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, Prikaz hrvatskih nacionalnih rezultata 2015. godine. Zagreb: Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo; 2016.
Competing interests: No competing interests