Investigating the Illicit Drugs Use in the Juvenile Inmates: An Advanced Study

• Main Authors: Fan-Yu Chang, 張梵盂
• Other Authors: Shu-Lung Yang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/5v3h2s

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 犯罪防治研究所 === 104 === Abstract Adolescent drug abusers often cause very serious problems and dangers to society. Recently, the reasons for juvenile inmates have been an increase in the rate of Drug Prevention and Control Act. The present study focuses on exploring the prevalence of legal substances and illicit drugs use among juvenile inmates. Further, the study aimed to investigate the correlation and the process of development between legal substances and illicit drugs use. The participants of this study were recruited from Juvenile Detention Houses in New Taipei City, Taichung and Kaohsiung. In total, 145 valid questionnaires were collected. The results indicate that most of the respondents are detained due to offenses related to the violation of the Drug Prevention and Control Act (54 persons, 37.2%). Regarding legal substances abuse, findings show that juvenile inmates have a high percentage on a separate use or mixed use. The juvenile inmates using all legal substances (cigarette, alcohol and betel nut) simultaneously were more than half of people before they enter the Juvenile Detention Houses in the previous year. Regarding illicit drugs abuse, the results show that Ketamine is the most popular drug that those juvenile inmates used (90 persons, 62.1%), followed by second-grade drugs including Amphetamine, ecstasy, Marijuana, Psilocybin (72 persons, 49.7%).The first-grade drug (Heroin) is used at lower rate (2 persons, 1.4%). Especially, Ketamine is the most widely used drug in the juvenile inmates and they take Ketamine by mixing the use of cigarette. Such condition shows the gateway process of development from legal substances to illicit drugs use. This pattern of data suggests that juvenile inmates who have the experiences of legal substances abuse with a relatively high frequency may be higher tendency for using illegal drugs. The gateway sequence of development is “cigarette”, “alcohol”, “betel nut”, “Ketamine” and “other illicit drugs”. “Ketamine” is thought to play the role of soft illicit drugs. Regarding the developmental time, juvenile inmates spend less than a year from first experience using legal substances to illicit drugs. We provide some suggestions based on the method and pattern utilized in this study. The government and public should pay more attention to teenagers at high risk of legal substances use and intervene the gateway process of development. Moreover, the government must formulate suitable prevention countermeasures for preventing and controlling the illegal drugs using tendency among youths.