Nearly two-thirds of young people who took part in research commissioned by the university students’ council have tried recreational cannabis sometime in their life, while the majority still use drugs.

The study, carried out by MISCO International, focuses on drug use and regulation in Malta. It was commissioned by KSU as part of its drug use awareness campaign called Beyond the Influence.

Carried out in January and February, 67% of the 976 participants, mostly aged between 16 and 34, said they have used drugs for recreational purposes. Nearly 60% still use drugs.

Only a third of those who said they have tried drugs are women, and most of the participants said they used drugs when they were aged between 17 and 19.

Overall, the most sought drug was cannabis. Some 98% of those who tried drugs said they used cannabis, followed by hallucinogens (46%) and stimulants (38%).

COVID-19 saw increase in number of substance users

As indicated by other research, most respondents believe that COVID-19 has seen an increase in the number of substance users, while the pandemic also led users to use drugs more frequently. 

Meanwhile, three-fourths of respondents believe that drug use could negatively impact a person’s physical wellbeing and mental health.

While two-thirds of respondents do not believe that cannabis is a gateway drug to harder substances, participants perceive the substance as less dangerous than tobacco and alcohol. 

Three-fourths believe that cannabis should not only be decriminalised but also legalised. 

In line with this, although drug abuse is considered a serious problem in Malta and the EU, many still believe that there are benefits to legalising drugs for personal use, such as weakening the black market and decreasing drug-related crimes.

In numbers:

78% never felt pressured to use drugs

77% tried drugs out of curiosity

five% took drugs to fight physical pain

58% consider drug abuse among youths to be a serious problem in Malta