Individuals residing in urban areas are more likely to be employed and have better access to alcohol and psychoactive drug use. In contrast to this, studies done in first-world countries like Germany and Canada found that the use of alcohol and psychoactive substances was more prevalent in rural rather than urban areas . The reason for the increased prevalence of risky alcohol and psychoactive substance use in the rural populations in Germany and Canada has been speculated to be due to limited access to drug education, treatment services, employment opportunities, and extra-curricular activities. These amenities are not available in rural areas .Cannabis use in the adolescent population is currently a serious public health concern . In the latest report from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction , it is estimated that 17.5 million young Europeans aged between 15 and 34 used cannabis in the last year. Regarding the situation in Spain, cannabis is the most-used illegal psychoactive substance among students aged 14 to 18: 33% of Spanish adolescents are reported to have consumed this substance at some point in their lives; 27% consumed it during the last year; 15.4% reported problematic cannabis use which is related to the excessive amount of consumption, consumption at the offer of friends, etc. .
The latest Spanish Survey on Drug use in Secondary School Students shows that the average age at which cannabis use starts is around 14–15 years. The frequency and quantity of cannabis consumption increases with age and its use is more common among men than women. Various studies have highlighted that peer group cannabis consumption is one of the main causes of the use of this substance among adolescents . Likewise, adolescents who begin cannabis consumption at an early age are more susceptible to consuming other illegal substances and developing a pattern of risky alcohol consumption . The use of this substance has also been associated with increased incidence of academic problems, conflicts or physical aggression at school , behaviors related to gambling and problematic internet use , sexual abuse , episodes of anxiety and depression, acts of suicide , and greater probability of dependencyin adult life . The seriousness of these consequences highlights the need to reinforce preventive strategies from an early age . From the Positive Youth Development model a perspective focused on personal protective factors for healthy development is adopted, which includes the necessary skills to face diverse risks such as the use of addictive substances . In this sense, coping styles deserve particular attention , as well as assertive behavior, which is considered a fundamental element of the socialization process.
To these factors a new beneficial construct for healthy development called Emotional Intelligence is added, whose promotion at an early age could represent a novel preventive approach . Given that cannabis use begins at an increasingly young age , this research aims to study the inflfluence of these personal factors on the use of this substance in adolescence. Coping styles play an important mediating role between stressful situations, adolescents’ resources to deal with them, and the resulting consequences for their physical and mental health . This moderating function is especially relevant in this complex period of life in which important changes are experienced . Following Ebata and Moos , it is possible to distinguish between an active coping style that facilitates the adolescent’s adjustment, and a dysfunctional or avoidant coping style that increases the probability of psychosocial problems. Some studies with adolescents have found that less use of active coping has been related to an increase in the probability of ever consuming cannabis, as well as to doing so more frequently and in greater quantities . Other studies suggest that the use of a dysfunctional coping style has been related to greater risk of consuming cannabis due to peer pressure.
The literature has confirmed a link between coping styles and drug use behaviors . Despite this, the access to substances such as cannabis could be more complicated for adolescents as they are not financially independent, consequently, many of the studies have been carried out with adult samples and would be relevant to analyse what happens in the adolescent stage. In turn, one of the personal variables that is most related to the use of drugs in adolescents is assertive behavior.Assertiveness implies acting in defense of one’s own interests, defending oneself without unjustifified anxiety, sincerely and kindly expressing one’s feelings, and putting one’s personal rights into practice while respecting those of others . Focusing on cannabis consumption, the effort dedicated to prevention is generally justified on the assumption that peer group influence is relevant in the initiation and maintenance of this habit . Various studies have claimed that a deficit in assertive skills is associated with an increased risk in adolescents’ use of cannabis , as well as a lower capacity to oppose peer pressure when consuming it.