Acta psychiat. scand. (1978) 57, 336-356 Field Research Centre, Mental Hospital, Agra (U.P.), India
Prevalence and pattern of drug use amongst college students K. C . DUBE,A. KUMAR,N. KUMARAND S. P. GUPTA This is a report on the study of the prevalence and pattern of the use of dependence-producing drugs on 1,192 postgraduate students from the faculties of Arts, Science and Commerce and final year undergraduate medical students. The overall prevalence rate of drug use was 50.08 % (65.22 % in medical and 34.85 % in non-medical students). The highest drug use (76.43 %) was among male medical students. Male students preferred to use alcohol and bhang while femala had a preference for meprobamate followed by alcohol. In the majority of cases, the age of initiation was in the “teens”. “Friends” were most responsible for suggesting drug use, although “more than one” influencing agents out-numbered all the single influencing agents. Parents were found to have a significantly “tolerant” attitude towards drug use by their off-spring. “Personal reasons” were not responsible for indulgence in or abstaining from drug use. L.S.D. users had the maximum number of after-effects. The effects experienced in respect of most drugs were generally unpleasant and sometimes contrary to the expectations of users. Most “non-users” and “infrequent users” did not favour self-decision for drug indulgence though some “moderate” and “frequent” users were in favour of giving this freedom for some substances. Stringent measum against drug use among students were advocated by all drug users. More males, particularly male medical students, than females reported drug experience. Among male users, religion, caste, earlier education, residence (both sexes), employment status, occupation of the father, parental education and family income (among females as well) were the variables found to be significantly associated with drug use. Key words: Drug use, college and medical students naire - social variables.
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question-
Studies on non-medical use of dependence-producing drugs abound in literature. Several reports from India (Dube & Handa (1971), Dube et al. (1975, 1977)) indicate the pattern of drug use in the general population and in specialized groups like psychiatrically ill persons and students. I n other countries the high prevalence of drug use has been viewed with concern. Reports from lay sources (Labich et al. (1977)) suggest that soft drugs, like marihuana, of yesteryear in Europe are, especially in the Scandinavian countries, being replaced by hard drugs like heroin, the use of which has reached alarming proportions with accompanying grave consequences. The speculation about the newly emerging
337
trend of increased drug use among college students on the Indian scene (Dube (1972)) is a sufficient justification for undertaking a study of this type. Though the local student culture is often influenced by the Western model it retains its local characteristics. While in the West there is a tendency towards independence of thought and action, the local student is subjected to varying restraints on independence through parental and social controls. Hence drugs are often surreptitiously indulged in. The hostelers have more freedom in this respect and are more prone to contagion. Drug use in Indian colleges is fairly prevalent and the knowledge about the newer drugs and drug trends keeps filtering in through a large number of foreign visitors coming as tourists or as students, and through other mass communication channels. In this setting a rural student is also exposed to the same influences but at a later age, and being from a different socio-cultural group, does not readily integrate with urban culture. A survey was conducted at this centre during one academic year, 1975-76, on post-graduates of non-medical faculties and the final year undergraduate medical students, on the presumption that by this time the students would have had maximum exposure to drugs, had they chosen to use them, and their views on different facets of drug use would be crystallized. The student population is largely drawn from urban setting and from all socio-economic groups. The involvement of students in organized social, recreational and cultural activities is limited. This paper presents the observation on 1,192 students (878 males and 314 females). The information on drug use and other related variables was obtained on a precoded anonymous questionnaire* through class room administration by the authors. Other methodological details are given in an earlier communication (Dube et al. (1977)). The experience of these administrations in the past has been that the possibility of “false negative” and “false positive” responses should be negligible as responses obtained in respect of prevalence and pattern of drug use among two batches of students from the same college in two consecutive years were fairly consistent and not erratic (Dube et al. (1977)). RESULTS
In the study sample, 537 male (61.2 %) and 60 female (19.1 %) students had drug experience. The number of regular and moderate users among males was 71, or 8 %, and 78, or 8.9 %, respectively, but among the females the regular and moderate users were negligible. Male medical students had highest prevalence rate (76.4 %) of drug use, significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the non-medical male students (Table 1). A number of social variables were found to be significantly associated with index cases (referring to male drug users only unless otherwise specified; Table 2): 1. Religion: Although the drug use among the Muslims was as high as 40 %, it was less than “Hindus” or “Other religionists”.
* Copies available on request from the author (K.C.D.).
n=
Prevalence and pattern of drug use amongst college students K. C . DUBE,A. KUMAR,N. KUMARAND S. P. GUPTA This is a report on the study of the prevalence and pattern of the use of dependence-producing drugs on 1,192 postgraduate students from the faculties of Arts, Science and Commerce and final year undergraduate medical students. The overall prevalence rate of drug use was 50.08 % (65.22 % in medical and 34.85 % in non-medical students). The highest drug use (76.43 %) was among male medical students. Male students preferred to use alcohol and bhang while femala had a preference for meprobamate followed by alcohol. In the majority of cases, the age of initiation was in the “teens”. “Friends” were most responsible for suggesting drug use, although “more than one” influencing agents out-numbered all the single influencing agents. Parents were found to have a significantly “tolerant” attitude towards drug use by their off-spring. “Personal reasons” were not responsible for indulgence in or abstaining from drug use. L.S.D. users had the maximum number of after-effects. The effects experienced in respect of most drugs were generally unpleasant and sometimes contrary to the expectations of users. Most “non-users” and “infrequent users” did not favour self-decision for drug indulgence though some “moderate” and “frequent” users were in favour of giving this freedom for some substances. Stringent measum against drug use among students were advocated by all drug users. More males, particularly male medical students, than females reported drug experience. Among male users, religion, caste, earlier education, residence (both sexes), employment status, occupation of the father, parental education and family income (among females as well) were the variables found to be significantly associated with drug use. Key words: Drug use, college and medical students naire - social variables.
-
question-
Studies on non-medical use of dependence-producing drugs abound in literature. Several reports from India (Dube & Handa (1971), Dube et al. (1975, 1977)) indicate the pattern of drug use in the general population and in specialized groups like psychiatrically ill persons and students. I n other countries the high prevalence of drug use has been viewed with concern. Reports from lay sources (Labich et al. (1977)) suggest that soft drugs, like marihuana, of yesteryear in Europe are, especially in the Scandinavian countries, being replaced by hard drugs like heroin, the use of which has reached alarming proportions with accompanying grave consequences. The speculation about the newly emerging
337
trend of increased drug use among college students on the Indian scene (Dube (1972)) is a sufficient justification for undertaking a study of this type. Though the local student culture is often influenced by the Western model it retains its local characteristics. While in the West there is a tendency towards independence of thought and action, the local student is subjected to varying restraints on independence through parental and social controls. Hence drugs are often surreptitiously indulged in. The hostelers have more freedom in this respect and are more prone to contagion. Drug use in Indian colleges is fairly prevalent and the knowledge about the newer drugs and drug trends keeps filtering in through a large number of foreign visitors coming as tourists or as students, and through other mass communication channels. In this setting a rural student is also exposed to the same influences but at a later age, and being from a different socio-cultural group, does not readily integrate with urban culture. A survey was conducted at this centre during one academic year, 1975-76, on post-graduates of non-medical faculties and the final year undergraduate medical students, on the presumption that by this time the students would have had maximum exposure to drugs, had they chosen to use them, and their views on different facets of drug use would be crystallized. The student population is largely drawn from urban setting and from all socio-economic groups. The involvement of students in organized social, recreational and cultural activities is limited. This paper presents the observation on 1,192 students (878 males and 314 females). The information on drug use and other related variables was obtained on a precoded anonymous questionnaire* through class room administration by the authors. Other methodological details are given in an earlier communication (Dube et al. (1977)). The experience of these administrations in the past has been that the possibility of “false negative” and “false positive” responses should be negligible as responses obtained in respect of prevalence and pattern of drug use among two batches of students from the same college in two consecutive years were fairly consistent and not erratic (Dube et al. (1977)). RESULTS
In the study sample, 537 male (61.2 %) and 60 female (19.1 %) students had drug experience. The number of regular and moderate users among males was 71, or 8 %, and 78, or 8.9 %, respectively, but among the females the regular and moderate users were negligible. Male medical students had highest prevalence rate (76.4 %) of drug use, significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the non-medical male students (Table 1). A number of social variables were found to be significantly associated with index cases (referring to male drug users only unless otherwise specified; Table 2): 1. Religion: Although the drug use among the Muslims was as high as 40 %, it was less than “Hindus” or “Other religionists”.
* Copies available on request from the author (K.C.D.).
n=
