Kids with 'smart' parents smoke more weed: study

The use of cannabis among Swedish high school students is more common among those with university-educated parents, according to a new study published by the National Institute of Public Health (Statens folkhälsoinstitutet).

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The survey of 600 students at six high schools in Skåne in southern Sweden shows that one in four students with university-educated parents has tried cannabis, while only one in five with parents who completed only compulsory schooling, have done so.

”It is a little strange. Smoking in general and drinking tends to be more widespread among children of parents with lower levels of education. The results were a little surprising,” Lisen Sylwan at the institute told The Local on Monday.

The survey also shows that there is a difference between the levels of knowledge about the drug between the two groups. The children of those with university degrees fared less well in a test, with only a third aware, for example, that you can lose your driving licence if you are found with cannabis.

”We have launched a programme to educate the students, divided into eight areas, such as consequences, legal implications, health and ideological aspects,” Sylwan said.

The survey showed that knowledge of the health implications of using hash and marijuana is generally deficient, with almost half unaware that regular use can impact memory, speech and the comprehension of instructions, the institute explained in a statement.

The study was conducted on 600 students at four high-schools in Kristianstad and two in Malmö who were asked to answer questions on their own habits and the habits of their friends.

The survey is part of the ”Test your limits” (Testa dina gränser) project which aims to increase knowledge around recreational drugs and involving ten municipalities in the county during the autumn in cooperation with the Public Health Institute, Skåne County and The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN).