Addiction substance use as a manifestation of deviant behaviour in a group of adolescents, political and informational instruments for limiting its development in Latvia

The aim of the research is to identify the causes of legal addictive substance use among young people and to develop recommendations for the creation of effective informational tools targeted at youth audiences to prevent the initiation of addictive substance use in Latvia. The scientific novelty of the doctoral thesis is determined by the data collection method used – a longitudinal three-year cohort study of youth in grades 7 to 9, within which the data collection method involves self-assessment by the youth, complemented by qualitative research into the views of teachers and family members of the target group. The secondary analysis of empirical data will be conducted within the framework of the theoretical discourse of social deviance, thereby offering an expanded perspective on the considerations regarding the use of addictive substances and the youth's self-reference in the motivation for this behavior.