According to the studies drug addiction is an increasing problem affecting especially children and young people. It is assumed that about 60% of the drug addicts are found in the age range between 10 and 24.

The aim of this study were to estimate the general knowledge about drug addiction among secondary and vocational schools students in Zabrze, Poland and Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland, to compare the scales of the problem between studied schools, and to appreciate the level of drug abuse prevention.

280 students were included into the study. A two-part anonymous inquiry was implemented. The first part included questions about age, sex, living conditions, family and knowledge on drug abuse phenomenon. In the second part the questions regarded psychoactive substances.

The results show that secondary school graduates have a better knowledge about drugs than vocational school students, the scale of drug addiction problem is higher in schools of Tomaszów Lubelski than in Zabrze, the young people use drugs despite their knowledge of their harmful effects on human organism, boys use drugs more frequently than girls, and the drug abuse prevention in schools is not sufficient.

The analysis of the knowledge on addiction among students in two Polish cities may be useful in creating proper prevention programs.