40% of W Cape high school kids smoke

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The research found that almost half (around 40 percent) of pupils in Grades eight to 10 smoked cigarettes, 35 percent drank alcohol, and 35 percent smoked dagga.

Around 37 percent of pupils surveyed started using tobacco before the age of 13, and 28 percent of pupils started drinking before this age, while 66 percent of pupils had consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime. As many as 13.7 percent of these pupils also started smoking dagga before they were 13-years-old.

The study further revealed risky sexual behaviour in this cohort and among sexually active students, three out of five pupils admitted to having unprotected sex. A quarter admitted to having sex after alcohol or drugs, and a fifth to having multiple partners.

Many of the children had witnessed a criminal act within the last 12 months, and around 60 percent reported having seen someone using drugs or someone being beaten. Just under half had witnessed drugs being sold and 40 percent of pupils had witnessed someone being stabbed.

The survey found that the risk of mental health problems was high, particularly among female pupils.

The year-long study forms part of a survey of around 20 000 pupils at 240 schools.

Source: SAPA

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