Students’ knowledge on results of marihuana addiction

Introduction. Marihuana is together with alcohol and cigarettes the most often used psychoactive substancy among teenagers. It the
school students who more and more often try marihuana and the average age of initiation is getting lower. What seemed to be a fashion
years ago, today is the most important social, health and educative problem.

Aim of the study. To find out the level of students’ knowledge on results of marihuana addiction.

Material and methods. The research was conducted among 90 students of Junior School in Ciechanów. A survey with author’s own
questions was a method and the tool.

Results. The research say that the higher number (83.3%) of students represented low level of knowledge on marihuana addiction; 15.6%
represented medium level and only 1.1% high level. Having analysed students’ knowledge on physical results of marihuana addiction, the
highest (84.4%) percentage of students represented low level of any knowledge, 15.6 medium and 2.2 high. The psychological results of
addiction were known to 14.4% of students (high level), 27.8% (medium level), 57.8% low level. There is a link between the students’ age and
the level of their knowledge. The younger the students, the higher the level of their knowledge. Students’ sex does not have any influence on
their level of knowledge on the marihuana addiction results.
Conclusions:

1. Because of the low level of students’ knowledge, there is need to provide and conduct education in that field. The group which should
be particularly taken care of is of those aged 14 and 15.

2. There is need to make students aware that the group which is the best reliable source on the marihuana harmfulness is medical representatives,
especially the school nurse who is easily available at school.

Nursing Topics 2010; 18 (2): 191-197