BACKGROUND: Substance abuse is considered one of the most serious society-wide problems. In our paper, we focus on leisure and the individual leisure activities which are either protective or risky in terms of substance abuse. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To identify the typology of users of selected addictive substances in Slovak adolescents. Another objective is to determine the differences between the identified types of substance users in their leisure time, risk activities, demographic characteristics, and family environment. METHOD: The data set was obtained through our own questionnaire to determine the frequency of substance abuse, leisure activities, demographic characteristics, and family environment of the adolescents in the target group. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and cluster analysis. RESULTS: We identified three types of adolescents. Nearly 50% of them were non-users, approximately one third of them used all the addictive substances under study, mostly cigarettes, followed by alcohol and occasionally marijuana, and the last group was characterized by the occasional use of alcohol. Subsequently, we identified the differences between the groups in the ways they spend their leisure time. CONCLUSIONS: Occasional users of addictive substances go to discos/entertainment events, but also have temporary jobs, they use addictive substances while with their friends, and are involved in illegal activities significantly more frequently than the AS non-users. The AS non-users, in contrast, are more frequently engaged in activities such as reading books or playing board games with their parents, and they do not use addictive substances while with their friends and nor do they get involved in illegal/illicit activities.

Catholic University in Ružomberok Faculty of Education Department of Social Work Ružomberok Slovak Republic

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