EIGHTY-ONE PER CENT of young men in prison admitted to using illegal drugs before the age of 16, with marijuana
being the popular drug of choice.

According to Jonathan Yearwood, a research and information officer with the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), 84.7 per cent in non-custodial care also said they were introduced to illegal drugs by age 16.

There was also an indication, said Yearwood, who released the findings to determine the relationship between drug use and sexual risk behaviours yesterday, that alcohol was the legal drug of choice.

Speaking to an audience which included officials from the Child Care Board, Ministry of Health and other agencies at UN House to mark International Day
Against Drug Abuse
and Drug Trafficking,
he said the sample included 262 people.

He added that qualitative and quantitative methods
were used to conduct
the survey.

The respondents came from Glendairy Prisons and non-custodial institutions such as Verdun House and Teen Challenge and a section of the juvenile population at the Government Industrial School.

Yearwood said some recommendations which came out of the focus assessment study were still being assessed by officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He said this study would not only guide future policy decisions, but would also guide the work of health care professionals.

Speaking specifically
on sexual behaviour and drugs, Yearwood said
over 60 per cent of subjects had sex under
the influence of drugs.

This practice, he said, was more popular among males in prison and in drug treatment centres
as well as interviewees over 18.

He also said those respondents also disclosed they offered themselves in exchange for illegal drugs, engaged in unprotected sex on a consistent basis and also indicated a dislike for condoms.

Yearwood said the study also found these people also had multiple sex partners or had partners who used legal and illegal drugs.

In relation to sex and drugs, marijuana and cocaine were the most popular illegal drugs used by the respondents.

During the survey, the respondents were also questioned on their participation in high-risk sexual practices.

More than 73.7 per cent of the respondents had unprotected sex, while 61.7 per cent had sex while they were drunk, or under the influence of illegal drugs.

In addition to this, 49.6 per cent of the sample had multiple sexual partners, 48.4 per cent did not refuse a sexual encounter even in the absence of condoms, 47.6 per cent engaged in sex even though their partners did not have a condom, while a further 30 per cent did not ask their partner to wear a condom.