At least 16.9 per cent of pupils in primary schools are abusing drugs.
A new survey by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, NACADA, has revealed that the most abused substances include tobacco, bhang, alcohol and khat.
The latest poll indicates that pupils access these drugs from as early as the age of four years.
Alcohol ranks the highest abused substance with seven per cent of minors alleged to have tasted it, followed by tobacco at six per cent with the least one per cent of the population interviewed said to have taken bhang.
The survey also reveals that pupils in schools based in urban areas expressed high levels of knowledge of hard drugs listed.
Data shows children abuse drugs during school holidays, on their way from school, over the weekends and during inter-school competitions.
Sources of drugs
The survey also revealed that the possible sources of drugs are shops near school, bars near school, other pupils and school workers.
The survey further revealed that the abuse was significantly associated with class repetition and decline in academic performance.
It further indicated that pupils who use at least one hard drug are 18 per cent more likely to repeat a class.
The study was conducted on a sample size of 3,306 pupils from 177 schools.
