Alcohol and drugs: how their consumption evolved in Argentina

The Secretariat of Comprehensive Drug Policies of the Argentine Nation (SEDRONAR) and the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) presented this Thursday the National Survey on Consumption and Care Practices 2022 (ENCoPraC). The study analyzed the consumption of psychoactive substances, the different modalities of use and the profile of the consumers.

The presentation of the report took place at the Hall of the Original Peoples of Casa Rosada and, for the first time, the motivations and contexts of consumption, precautions and care practices were investigated. Among the results it was observed that the 84.7% of the people surveyed ever consumed alcohol, 49.2% tobacco, 26.3% marijuana, 14.1% tranquilizers and 5.1% cocaine.

The investigation was carried out at a total number of 524 peoplein a field work carried out between July and October of last year, and included people from between 16 and 75 years. Were 31 urban agglomerates, with an average of 2,000 inhabitants, where the digital questionnaire of 235 questions was answered. The final result of the survey is published on the INDEC website.

“Since the beginning of our management at SEDRONAR, we have raised the need to broaden the perspective from which information on this subject is produced,” he said. Gabriela Torreshead of the organization and added: “Unfortunately, we had to postpone the survey due to Covid, which was planned for mid-2020 and only in 2022 were we able to carry it out, together with INDEC.”

According to the government agency, work was done on different types of consumption: alcohol, tobacco, tranquilizers, marijuana and cocaine. “It allows us to know what we Argentines consume, the relationship of consumption with care practices and the idea of ​​caring for and accompanying people with problems, with different treatment models,” Torres explained.

Alcohol

In the report, it was noted thatn the last year 66.2% consumed alcohol of the participants, tobacco 25.6%, marijuana 13.8%, tranquilizers 6.9% and cocaine 1.2%. and in the last month, alcohol 51.2%, tobacco 23.3%, marijuana 8.1%, tranquilizers 4.8% and cocaine 0.6%.

In the case of alcohol, the study determined that in the last month 62.1% of men and 41% of women are consumers, detailing that the age group of 25 to 34 years is among those with the highest level of consumption. “First of all, for pleasure and then out of habit, out of nervousness, or to sleep, or to socialize,” he explained. Guillermo Manzanodirector National Statistics of Living Conditions of the INDEC And regarding the precautions, he highlighted: “Hydration and nutrition are taken into account before consuming, doing it in a safe place and regulating the amount, in that order.”

Tobacco

As for tobacco, 26% of men and 20.8% of women smoked in the last month, with the range of 35 to 49 years as the one with the highest consumption and “with the low educational climate of the home in the first place, above the medium and high, unlike alcohol,” said Manzano. In this category, the main reason for using cigarettes was pleasure, followed by habit and to relax.

On the other hand, the use of tranquilizers resulted in 16.9% of women admitting having taken them at some time in their lives, 8.8% in the last year and 6.1% in the last month. . In men, consumption at some point in their lives was 11.1%. Also it was observed that 85.5% did so with a prescription and the remaining 14.5% without a prescription.

Cocaine

On dopefor therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes, 26.3% of respondents 13.8% said they had ever used it in the last year and 8.1% in the last month. “Most consumed at the home of friends, partner or at home, which indicated consumption in private places; and the reasons were firstly for pleasure or curiosity and secondly to relax. A 60.8% combined the consumption of marijuana with alcohol”, he pointed diego ruizdirector of Argentine Drug Observatory of SEDRONAR.

About the consumption of cocaine resulted in “5.1% of both sexes did it at some time, 7.9% of men, in 5.8% of the high educational climate of the home and in 5.3% of the low one, that is, almost without differences”Manzano concluded. 5.9% expressed their concern about the consumption of substances and of them, 74.7% of women and 66% of men sought actions“first with self-care practices, then in the affective network and finally in the consultation with health personnel,” Ruiz closed.

by RN

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