Pubdate: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 Source: Irish Independent (Ireland) Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd Contact: http://www.independent.ie/ Author: By Eilish O'Regan, Health Correspondent DRUG DEATH LEVEL HERE IS HIGHEST IN EUROPE - SURVEY Ireland has the highest rate of drug related deaths in the EU while the average age for Dublin pupils to start experimenting with cannabis is now as young as 12 years. A survey of 1,000 Dublin youngsters also revealed they take their first drink at 11 years and 14pc had abused inhalants such as glue. The worrying trends are exposed in separate studies from the EU and the Eastern Health Board with evidence that all-girl schools are less likely breeding grounds for substance abuse. The survey of second year pupils in 16 schools in Dublin found girls in mixed schools were more likely to smoke cannabis than those in single-sex schools. BINGE DRINKING Those in all-girl schools were not fully protected from the dangers of drug abuse but they were also less likely to indulge in ``binge drinking'' than co-ed pupils 47pc compared to 23pc. The health board survey also revealed ``a significant relationship between delinquent behaviour and the level of involvement with both alcohol and cannabis''. Of the sample, 16pc reported drinking alcohol regularly and 59pc said they sometimes drank. Of these, 56pc did so ``in someone's home''. The findings come as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction found that while the number of drug related deaths across the community has stabilised and even fallen in many countries, the trend is highest in Ireland. It stresses, however, that the upsurge in Ireland in recent times may be partly due to under-reporting in previous years and that comparison of national statistics may be flawed because of the different methods used to record data. WIDELY USED Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug across the EU and abuse among 15- and 16-year-olds ranges from 5pc in Portugal and Finland to 40pc in Ireland and the UK. A separate random study in the Eastern Health Board of 10- to 18-year-olds found 85pc said they had tasted alcohol and 30pc had been drunk on two or more occasions. Almost 18pc admitted they had used hard drugs at some time in their lives and 20pc had abused cannabis at some stage. The results showed that 12pc had used solvents, 4.7pc amphetamines, 3.3pc LSD and tranquillisers and 3.1pc ecstasy. Cocaine has been tried by 2pc of schoolchildren. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D