A recent study has shown that male adolescents aged between 15 and 19 consume high percentages of beer, alcohol and spirits in a week.

Health Promotion Department director Mario Spiteri carried out the study entitled “Smoking, Drinking and other Drug use in Adolescence – What Maltese sixth form students know, think and do”.

A total of 477 respondents aged between 15 and 19 participated in the survey. Seventeen-year-old young women formed the highest percentage of respondents (51 per cent), followed by 17-year-old males (39 per cent).

According to the study, 53 per cent of male respondents said they had consumed beer or lager in the previous seven days when the study was carried out, as opposed to 13 per cent of women.

Another 49 per cent of male respondents said that they consumed table wines, as did 33 per cent of women. Spirits was also high on the list with 48 per cent of males saying they consumed spirits as opposed to 36 per cent of their female counterparts.

A good 31 per cent said that they did not consume any alcohol at all while 15 per cent of males and 17 per cent of females said they consumed between four to six units of alcohol in a week.

Another 16 per cent of men said they consumed between seven to 10 units while only 11 per cent of females said they did.

At least 13 per cent of men said they consumed 28 units or more in a week while only one per cent of female respondents said they did the same.

A very high percentage of women said they did not smoke at all (71 per cent) as opposed to 56 per cent of men.

The study found that 15 per cent of male smokers bought their cigarettes from shops while another 12 per cent said they got cigarettes from their friends or bought them from a bar.

A lower percentage of female smokers (four per cent) said they bought cigarettes from bars while another 14 per cent said they got them from their friends.

Only three per cent of male smokers said they bought cigarettes from vending machines.

Only 18 per cent of males said they tried smoking once, as opposed to 35 per cent of their female counterparts, while another 14 per cent of males and 15 per cent of females said that they smoke occasionally and less than one cigarette a week.

Another 22 per cent of males said they smoke regularly but would like to quit. A lower percentage of women (12 per cent) said they are regular smokes and would also like to quit.

Only 11 per cent of male smokers and four per cent of female smokers said they are regular smokers but have no intention of quitting.

The study found that cigarette advertising had “quite a lot” of influence on 21 per cent of male smokers and on 23 per cent of female smokers.

A good percentage of male smokers (22 per cent) and 12 per cent of female smokers said that cigarette advertising did not have any effect whatsoever on them.

Another 30 per cent of males and 32 per cent of women said that advertising did affect their decision to start smoking.