Tobacco, betel quid, alcohol, and illicit drug use among 13- to 35-year-olds in I-Lan, rural Taiwan: prevalence and risk factors.

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This study determined the prevalence of and risk factors for substance use among rural Taiwanese. We used a survey of a representative sample of 6318 participants aged 13 to 35 years in I-Lan, Taiwan, in 1996 through 1997. Perceived use of illicit drugs by peers, tobacco smoking, betel quid chewing, and male gender were the strongest predictors of illicit drug use. The prevalence of illicit drug use ranged from 0.3% among those who did not use any other substance to 7.1% among those using tobacco, betel quid, and alcohol. Preventive measures should address substance use in general rather than aiming at single substances.