Use and Abuse of Illegal Drugs, Alcoholic Drinks, Medicines and Tobacco Products 1992 - Eastern Germany (Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse)

Use of drugs, alcohol, medications, tobacco among young people in the
new states.

Topics: Family and childhood: socialization authorities during
childhood; information on whereabouts of parents and their marital
status; characterization of relationship and assignment of selected
characteristics to father as well as mother; number of children in
parental home; year of birth and if appropriate year of death of
natural parents; birth dates of natural parents, siblings and if
appropriate step-brother or step-sister; social origins; school degree
and occupational data of father and mother; general assessment of
financial situation of family; employment of father and mother. School
and occupation: current education status; school degree; repeating a
class in school; completed vocational training; dates of employment;
frequency of unemployment between 1987 and 1990; unemployment in the
last year; total duration of unemployment as well as receipt of welfare
in the last few years; time worked each week; characterization of
psychological and physical stress from work or school; feeling of
exhaustion at quitting time. Housing situation: living together with
parents or others in a group sharing a residence; prematurely leaving
home; age at leaving parental home. Leisure time: belonging to a clique
of young people; leisure activity with others or alone; frequency of
selected leisure activities; most important reference person; frequency
of playing slot machines with possibility of winning; weekly duration
of play and perceived stress from playing machines. Use of tobacco
products: use of cigarettes; brand of cigarettes as well as statement
of amount of nicotine and tar of the brand of cigarettes; preferred
place of purchase of tobacco products; year of starting to smoke;
length of interruption in use of tobacco; assessment of probability of
conducting oneself in the same manner in the future regarding smoking
or not smoking; statement of use of tobacco products by father and
mother; classification of most frequent contact groups in occupation
and leisure time as smoker or non-smoker; attitude to smoking bans in
selected situations and attitude to tobacco advertising; attitude to
smoking (scale). Drinking habits: frequency of drinking selected
non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages; daily consumption of beer, wine,
liqueurs and strong alcoholic beverages; weekly consumption of beer,
wine and spirits; self-classification of personal use of alcohol; most
important occasion or place to drink alcohol; most important sources of
supply for alcohol; age at starting regular consumption of alcohol; age
at first alcohol excess; domestic use of alcohol of father and mother;
use of alcohol by closest friend or partner; attitude to use of alcohol
(scale); conduct in use of alcohol of closest friends and
acquaintances. Health: health consciousness; self-classification of
personal condition of health; statement of most important health
complaints; protection against AIDS practiced; interest in an AIDS
test; time of last visit to the doctor; preparation, type and frequency
of medications used. Use of intoxicants: type of drugs ever used; age
and frequency in use of sniffing materials; statement of age at first
use and frequency of use, differences according to drug types;
injecting intoxicants; frequency of simultaneous use of various
intoxicants; time period since last use of individual intoxicants; use
of increasingly higher doses to obtain euphoria; use of medications or
intoxicants to calm and eliminate conditions of fear; neglecting
friends or hobbies from procuring drugs; skipping school and work for
the purpose of procuring drugs; perceived stress from use of
intoxicants; perceived dependence on use of intoxicants; reasons for
possibly having ended use of intoxicants in the meantime; most
important reasons for use of drugs earlier in comparison to today;
sources of supply for first drug and for later use; other users at
first use of intoxicants and later; person to confide in with problems
as a result of use of drugs; readiness to try drugs with those
experienced with drugs; use of hard and soft drugs in one´s circle of
friends; number of addicts in one´s circle of friends; availability of
drugs within 24 hours; extent to which informed about the drug problem;
assessment of addiction potential of individual drugs and medications;
perceived closeness to or rejection of smokers and users of hard as
well as soft drugs; self-assessment of dependence on drugs, alcohol or
nicotine; particular events or problems in the last year and personally
perceived stress from this; thoughts of suicide; self-assessment of
personal situation; weight; height; current or planned pregnancy of
respondent or partner; planned changes of the use of alcohol and
tobacco in case of pregnancy; number of sex partners in the last year;
use of condoms and contraception; desired number of children;
employment in Western Germany; length of residence in city; assessment
of satisfaction (scale) in the areas school and work, residence,
finances, leisure time, health, family, relation with friends and
self-satisfaction; general contentment with life; readiness for a
follow-up interview.