Drug use and related problems among very young people (under 15 years old).

This in-depth review on Drug use and related problems among very young people (under 15 years old) is based on information provided to the EMCDDA by the EU Member States and candidate countries and Norway (participating in the work of the EMCDDA since 2001) as part of the national reporting process. The available information at European level suggests that illicit drug use among very young people is confined to a small minority who experiment with drugs at a very early age. Regular use among the very young is rarer still – as is partly reflected in the European data on people attending drug treatment. Among those who start using substances at a very young age, evidence suggests that early experimentation with psychoactive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, is associated with an increased risk of developing drug problems later in life. Regular drug use among the under-15s is most often found among a highly problematic group of the population, in whom drug use is combined with other concurrent or preceding psychological and social disorders and might often be a marker of social problems or of an underlying neurobehavioural pathway (Clark et al., 2005). Responses targeted at substance use by very young people usually focus on both licit and illicit substances and, in addition to tackling the problems relating to substance use, seek to bring about early treatment of concomitant psychological or social disorders. This approach is also reflected in European and national legislation and strategies. Interventions aimed at very young people range from universal approaches to early intervention, when substance use is already suspected. Drug treatment targeted at drug-using young people is rare, but most European countries have identified the need for such programmes. Legal regulations are especially important in protecting children and adolescents from drugs and ensuring that they have easy access to help and support. Education plays a crucial role in this respect, and the responsibility for this may be assumed by authorities if it cannot be fulfilled by parents. In this selected issue, information from Europe on the prevalence and patterns of substance use among very young people and on available responses in terms of legislation, prevention and treatment is presented. (Author/publisher)