Assessment of Substance Use Among High School Students in Northern Cyprus Based on the Gateway Hypothesis

Abstract

This study is a quantitative survey study based on the data of the research project on the Use of Alcohol, Cigarettes and Other Addictive Substances in Northern Cyprus High Schools students conducted by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Anti-Drug Commission. In this study, data were collected from 763 high school students in 6 districts in the north of Cyprus through the European School Research Project Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD Survey) Survey, using the stratified sampling method, through the guidance and psychological counselling services of the schools. According to findings of this study, as the smoking age falls, so does the age of switching to e-cigarettes. Similarly, as the age of first cigarette and e-cigarette smoking declines, so does the age of daily use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. When the regression results of the research are evaluated, it is seen that students' lifetime smoking frequency, age at beginning smoking, e-cigarette smoking frequency, age at first e-cigarette smoking, hookah smoking frequency, and usage of heated non-combustible tobacco products did not predict bonsai use. However, an increase in the frequency of cannabis use among students significantly predicts bonsai consumption.