Sources of Youth Knowledge about the Dangers of Drugs and their Effect on Shaping Awareness and Behaviour: An Analytical Field Study

Abstract

This study addressed youth knowledge sources concerning risks of drugs and their effect on shaping awareness and behavior. That is, it aimed to identify the most prominent of these sources, reliability, and direct effect on youth awareness and behaviors related to use or prevention of drug risks, enhancing the effectiveness of the main sources. A social survey method, using a simple random sample, was used. A questionnaire was administered to 775 young men and women in Riyadh, aged between 15 and over 22 years, including university students, secondary school students, and those not enrolled in education. Data were analyzed using the SPSS program using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings of the study showed that the family scored the most effective and reliable source of knowledge about drugs, followed by media and school, respectively, while other sources (e.g., friends, Net, social media) were less reliable; there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores females and university students attributed to the variables of gender and educational level variables in favor females; there was a strong positive relationship between reliance on official sources (family, school, media) and awareness of drug risks; and there was an average positive relationship between reliance on Net and social media and awareness, versus a negative relationship between reliance on friends as an informal source and low awareness.