Substances use and perception among adolescents in Italy: Findings from an exploratory study

SUMMARY. Introduction: The present paper aims to examine the knowledge and the perception of some psychoactive substances (hashish, cocaine, ecstasy, etc.) of a group of Italian adolescents. Besides, the study investigates the way adolescents perceive drug effects, incidence among peers, and personal acknowledgement of the use of different substances. Methods: 650 adolescents, aged from 14 to 19, attending the first and the last two-year period of high school, filled out a questionnaire addressed to assess substances use and perception. Results: Inadequate knowledge of some substances emerged. Heroin and cocaine were considered dangerous substances. As for ecstasy, danger was often linked t…