ACCORDING to a recent study carried out by the Portuguese Drug Institution, Portugal has one of the highest rates of heroin consumption in Europe.
The study revealed that, in Portugal, more men than women have experimented with drugs and the 25-34 age bracket consumed the most drugs of both A and B class.
Shockingly, the Algarve is the region where most drugs are consumed, followed by Madeira and Lisbon. The study also demonstrated that the use of cannabis and heroin is increasing. Of the heroin addicts questioned, a total of 62.6 per cent admitted to taking the drug between two to three times a day and 46 per cent claimed to take it two to three times a week.
When asked why they choose to take drugs, most respondents said they are powerless to resist. The results from the study also showed that 14 per cent of users said that they started taking drugs before they were 15 years old, 58 per cent admitted to experimenting with drugs between the age of 15 and 19, and 20 per cent between the age of 20 and 24. Only eight per cent tried drugs over the age of 25. And most of the drug users questioned blamed peer pressure from friends. The findings also showed that the majority of drugs are taken in discos, raves, bars and at school.
