Abstract
Background: In Egypt, the prevalence rate of New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) use is severely underestimated. In the last 5 years, several non-scientific reports have demonstrated the presence of an emergent, cheap NPSs that has taken the name of “Strox” or “Egyptian Spice”. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of Strox smoking among undergraduate students attending Ain Shams University (ASU), Cairo (Egypt). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five non-medical colleges of ASU, namely, Law, Commerce, Computer Science, Engineering, and Literature. Participants were recruited using a convenient sampling method and were asked about NPSs use. Data were collected using the Marijuana Smoking History Questionnaire (MSHQ) developed by Bonn-Miller and Zvolensky (2009). The questionnaire was translated and modified to reflect Egyptian slang and culture. Results: This study included 558 students, 422 (75.6%) males and 136 (24.4%) females. The results showed that 189 (33.9%) were current tobacco smokers, 51 (9.1%) were smokers of substances other than tobacco, 45 (8.1%) were cannabis smokers, 38 (6.8%) were Strox smokers, and 3 (0.5%) were Voodoo smokers. When students were asked about their reasons for smoking Strox, they cited the following motivations: to achieve a feeling of euphoria(28.9%), depression (23.7%), experimentation (23.7%), peer pressure (21.1%), and having excess money (2.6%). The results showed a clear association between tobacco and cannabis smoking and consumption of Strox. Conclusion: Although the prevalence rates of NPSs usage as observed in this study were not high, higher rates could be expected in other communities outside of the university. Community-based studies are needed to estimate the magnitude of NPSs use in Egypt and the associated risk factors.
Highlights
Substance Abuse (SA) is considered one of the major health problems that has been faced by humanity in the last few decades [1]
This study included 558 students, 422 (75.6%) males and 136 (24.4%) females. This opportunistic sample of undergraduate students was recruited from 5 colleges: Computer science, 87 students (64 males and 23 females); Business, 94 students (69 males and 25 females); Law, 146 students (126 males and 20 females); Literature, 167 students (111 males and 56 females); and Engineering, 64 students (52 males and 12 females)
The present study showed that the prevalence rate of Strox usage among undergraduate students at Ain Shams University was less than 7%, while Voodoo usage did not reach 1%
Summary
Substance Abuse (SA) is considered one of the major health problems that has been faced by humanity in the last few decades [1]. A globally applicable definition of SA is a matter of much debate; according to the WHO, SA is defined as the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. As a result of authorities’ and communities’ restriction of legalized drug use together with the criminalization of many substances previously abused freely [6 - 8], a new beast has reared its ugly head: New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) [9]. According to the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), NPSs are defined as substances of abuse, either in a pure form or a preparation, that are not controlled by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances but which may pose a public health threat. In Egypt, the prevalence rate of New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) use is severely underestimated. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of Strox smoking among undergraduate students attending Ain Shams University (ASU), Cairo (Egypt)
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