Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1080741
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS MALTATODAY SURVEY between 2001 (18-35) legalisation who have lived all their adult life in Malta are the generation most likely to be as a recreational drug. Even so, support for 38.1%, while 57.1% are opposed. with the highest number of cannabis of young adults who admitted using in time and 39.1% who know someone one that holds the most moderate views cannabis. A majority (35.4%) believe harm than alcohol, while only 18.9% believe Young adults who believe cannabis and harm run at 28.2%. legalisation who have lived all their adult life in Malta who have lived all their adult life in Malta are the generation most likely to be are the generation most likely to be as a recreational drug. Even so, support for as a recreational drug. Even so, support for 38.1%, while 57.1% are opposed. with the highest number of cannabis with the highest number of cannabis of young adults who admitted using of young adults who admitted using in time and 39.1% who know someone in time and 39.1% who know someone one that holds the most moderate views one that holds the most moderate views cannabis. A majority (35.4%) believe cannabis. A majority (35.4%) believe harm than alcohol, while only 18.9% believe harm than alcohol, while only 18.9% believe Young adults who believe cannabis and Young adults who believe cannabis and harm run at 28.2%. People born before 1954 (65+) 8.1% agree with legalisation This comprises the post-war baby boom generation that started its adult life in the 1960s when miniskirts made an appearance, beat groups battled it out for supremacy, the church warred with the Labour Party and people were encouraged to emigrate. It was a time when drug taking was glamorised by a booming music industry that saw the arrival of icons like The Beatles. But that socially eruptive period is now a faraway memory, it seems. Only 2.1% of this generation admitted using cannabis with 11% knowing someone else who does. This is the generation least likely to support the legalisation of cannabis with only 8.1% agreeing with it and 79% against. An absolute majority (54.2%) believe cannabis does more harm than alcohol and only a meagre 3.7% believe cannabis is less harmful. A significant section (30.8%), however, are unsure how cannabis compares with alcohol. People born between 1954 and 1968 (51-65) 14.9% agree with legalisation This generation reached adulthood in the 1970s and 1980s, at a time of social change that also saw different entertainment patterns developing in line with a growing tourist sector. It was also a time of political unrest and the setting up of the first drug rehabilitation centres. The survey found that 14.9% of people in this generation agree with cannabis legalisation. Only 3.4% of people in this generation admitted making use of cannabis but 23.2% knew someone who did. A majority of people from this generation (37.7%) believe cannabis causes more harm than alcohol but a large section (26.7%) are unsure of how cannabis compares to alcohol. A minority of 15.9% believe cannabis causes less harm than alcohol. THERE are some 32,000 voters aged 18 and over who have tried cannabis at some point in their life, the findings of a MaltaToday survey suggest. The survey shows that 9.3% of re- spondents admitted to having used cannabis, with men having a higher incidence than women. The vast majority (90.7%) said they never used cannabis. Population statistics obtained from the National Statistics Office show there are more than 342,000 Maltese people aged 18 and over (excluding foreigners), which trans- lates into some 32,000 people who used cannabis. It is very possible that the number may be understated, a phenomenon researchers describe as social desir- ability bias. This is the tendency of survey respondents to answer ques- tions in a way they believe will be viewed favourably by others. It can lead to over-reporting of what is perceived as good behaviour and under-reporting of what is per- ceived as bad behaviour when deal- ing with sensitive issues. Given that cannabis is illegal, it is very plausible that people tend to associate it with bad or undesirable behaviour. The highest incidence of cannabis use was among those aged between 18 and 35 with 17.5% admitting to having used marijuana. This equates to some 17,000 young adults. The findings also show that the highest incidence of cannabis use is in the Northern region with 14.2% admitting its use. The survey found that 29.3% of re- spondents knew someone who uses cannabis, which equates to some 100,000 people who are aware of an individual who uses marijuana. Once again, men were more like- ly than women to know someone who used cannabis with the highest prevalence being in the Northern region. Methodology The survey was carried out be- tween Thursday, 21 January and Thursday, 28 January. 597 re- spondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on gender, region and age was used to replicate the Maltese demographics. The estimated mar- gin of error is 5% for a confidence interval of 95%. 32,000 admit having tried cannabis Do you agree that recreational cannabis should be legal for adults? Do you believe cannabis causes harm... More than alcohol Less than Same Don't know Yes No Don't know Total Labour voter Nationalist voter Didn't vote Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec Secondary Tertiary Gozo Northern Northern Harbour South Eastern Southern Harbour Western Total Labour voter Nationalist voter Didn't vote Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec Secondary Tertiary Gozo Northern Northern Harbour South Eastern Southern Harbour Western