The implementation of a longitudinal study within the framework of ESPAD - Flanders.

The adolescence phase is a critical phase concerning the exploration of, and experimenting with risk behaviour like substance use and abuse. With a view to an adequate approach not only the essential role of prevention must be examined, but a more precise look is also obtained on resilience and specific risk - and protective factors.
The ESPAD-research maps the substance use and risk behaviour of young people from a particular age cohort in a standardised manner, but also offer an opportunity to start a longitudinal study, which allows to look for causality between substance use of young people, prevention activities, prenting and risk behaviour of adolescents.
This longitudinal research will start in a specific region during the school year 2007-2008 among pupils in their first year secondary education.
This lingitudinal study examines the impact of social-ecological indicators on substance use in early and middle adolescence.