[Substance abuse among school children in Greenland in 1992. A nation-wide follow-up study of substance abuse habits among school children].

A follow-up study on schoolchildren in Greenland was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of intervention programmes from 1990 on substance abuse. Questionnaires were completed anonymously by 75% of a total of 2692 pupils aged 12 to 19 years. The substances in question were tobacco, cannabis, alcohol and solvents or other substances for sniffing. Thirty-one percent of the Danish boys and 46% of the Greenlandic boys were tobacco smokers compared to 49% of the Danish girls and 53% of the Greenlandic girls. Eighty-nine percent of the Danish and 63% of the Greenlandic pupils had experienced drinking alcohol. Nine percent of the Danish pupils and 19% of the Greenlandic pupils had tried sniffing. Twenty-five percent of the Greenlandic pupils and 30% of the Danish pupils had tried cannabis. Seventeen percent of all pupils were current users of cannabis. The patterns of substance abuse in Greenlandic girls changed from 1990 through 1992, in that the prevalence of smoking tobacco, smoking cannabis and sniffing decreased. However, the smoking of cigarettes and cannabis must still be considered a major health problem. Continuing surveys of substance abuse among schoolchildren is recommended.