The millennials prefer cannabis.

Rediscover the habits of the population will allow a better approach to focalize the public policies to reduce drugs consume.

"I´m Don't drink, better green and natural…"

It seems to be a very regular phrase with its different changes and expressions. But that in its matrix contains 2 key concepts:

Alcohol NOT! and cannabis YES!.

We don’t discuss in this column the fundamental difference between alcohol and cannabis. The alcohol causes more deaths and danger than cannabis (it is a fact based on the evidence). however, we discuss public policies and damage reduction.
The more recent studies about global burden diseases. Showed a recurrent topic

“ the manifestation of diseases as a process in constant change “.

In the same way that the oral diseases have a progressive upward at the global level. The Major depressive disorders and drug use disorders, particularly caused by opioids and cocaine, both increased in total DALYs and age-standardised rates; however, age-standardised DALY rates from alcohol use disorders dropped by 19%.

**A one DALY represent the lost of 1 year of healthy , or the equivalent of lost the 100% of a healthy year .** https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27733283

“Major depressive disorders and drug use disorders, particularly of opioids and cocaine, both increased in total DALYs and age-standardised rates; however, age-standardised DALY rates from alcohol use disorders dropped by 19%.”

In other times, the pisco bottles (Chilean distilled grape drink)and Ron or cheap vodka was the kings of parties, now the millennial generation is in love with other psychotropic drugs.
This is demonstrated by a publication by a European project of school surveys about alcohol and other drugs (ESPAD). This survey is applicated in young since 1995. To realize the inform, the researchers, interviewed to 96.043 students from 35 countries of Europe, 24 of them are members of Europe union.

The 2015 ESPAD Report | www.espad.org
This report presents the results of the sixth data-collection wave ofthe European School Survey Project on Alcohol and…www.espad.org

The interesting of this study is that the consumption of alcohol and tobacco has decreased in 20 years in teens between 15 and 16 years old. If in 1995 the 56% of the teenagers drink at 30 days left of the surveys, in 2015 only 47% had done it.
In another way, the tobacco in the 21% of the surveyed. Been Italy the country with the highest smoker rate (37%).

Tobacco consumption by countries.

This changes when we talk about cannabis. The average consumption of marijuana has increased from 11% in 1995 to 17% in 2015. Although the average is 16% of consumers, countries such as Spain, with 27%, or the Czech Republic, with 37 %, stand out in the upper part of the table. On the other extreme, in the Nordic countries and the Balkans consumption does not even reach 10%. (Will it be your educational approach?)

The results show that in the collective imaginary of the new millennial generation, the most accepted recreational drugs such as alcohol. They are being changed by other increasingly new substances. Despite this, the report does not provide an explanation for these changes.

But the ESPAD no only analyze the legal and illegal use of drugs. The inform include the use of the internet, virtual games and online gamble.

“the access to the network has been an integral part of the teen’s life.”

According to the report, adolescents spend an average of 5.8 days a week surfing the web. Where 78% of young people use social networks as a favorite activity, followed by the use of the Internet to search and consult information (48%). This element is crucial to understand in conclusion how this change in the use of substances exists:

Decrease in the perception of risk

-The wide access to the information of the millennial generation supposes a walk between accumulations of disgregated data. Between opinions of pairs, forums, blogs, facebook, Instagram among others. Where it is possible to find everything related to recreational drugs of the moment.

-In the light of results, research the new habits of the population will allow a new approach to the harm reductions of drugs consumption.

-A new focus that include not only the new trends in consume, therefore, look the problem by a risk reduction view. a new approach for this millennial population.

-Recognize and respect the existence of ludic use of drugs. characterized by the consume at weekend nights.

Energy Control Spanish NGO for Harm Reduction
Focused on non-problematic consumption, objective information, pleasures, risks, and responsible consumption.

Mapped: The countries that smoke the most cannabis
To mark 4/20, a day dedicated to smoking marijuana, we’ve mapped the world according to cannabis consumption — and the…www.telegraph.co.uk

And in Chile, what’s up?

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the nation that most uses cannabis is Iceland, where 18.3% of the population smokes. Followed by the United States and Nigeria. to the surprise of many, Chile is located in the fifth place, being the highest South American country on the list, even surpassing Uruguay.

In Chile, the fact that cannabis is the drug most consumed among young people is not unknown. And more comparing its use at a regional level, Chile is the country with the highest consumption rate in LatinAmerica.

It is time to change the paradigm. And while in therapeutic terms cannabis legislation advances. In other areas, problematic use of other substances requires comprehensive management.

In Latin America, we are just now realizing these changes. Therefore every day that passes is urgent to update and exercise a new leadership in public health matters.

Will the authorities know about the new trends in recreational consumption?

Will the population know ways to reduce the risks associated with the consumption of creepy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, n-bome, LSD among others?

Is a problem the soft drug consumption vs the imminent upward in the use of hard drugs?

Undoubtedly all these questions are few of the total to answer, since a different approach will consequently lead to an improvement at the population level.

Raise public policies that respect the right to individual freedom. They can make the risks associated with consumption decrease, considering that the consumer will precisely not do what he does “consume”.#.