Prevalence Of Substance Abuse Research Articles

Prevalence of Substance Abuse among School Students in Muscat and Al-Mudhaibi in Sultanate of Oman: A Comparative Study

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Sexual behavior and drug use impact in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

BackgroundThe emergence of chemsex has raised several concerns about gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men's (GBMSM) health. In this study we aim to analyze illicit drugs and chemsex use, sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in GBMSM who attended to a sexual health clinic and to explore any potential association between drug use and STI. MethodsWe conducted an observational study between January and June 2019 among GBMSM population attending to a STI clinic in Barcelona, Spain. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was given consecutively to all participants older than 18 years who accepted to participate. ResultsA total of 514 GBMSM (median age of 34 years-old) were included. The median number of sexual partners in the last year was 20. Seventy-one percent did not use condoms consistently for receptive anal intercourse. Drug abuse prevalence in the preceding year was 64.2%, and 26.5% of the individuals practiced chemsex. Gamma-hydroxibutyrate/gammabutyrolactone, poppers and methamphetamine were the most common drugs in chemsex. Chemsex was associated to group sex (OR 9.8 [95 CI: 4–24]), HIV infection (OR 2.5 [95 CI: 1.1–5.8]), taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (OR 3.2 [95 CI: 1.5–7.1]), developing gonorrhea (OR 3.7 [95 CI: 1.5–8.8]) or syphilis (OR 6.7 [95 CI: 2.4–18.7]). ConclusionsThe prevalence of drug use and chemsex was high among GBMSM in Barcelona. Chemsex was associated with group sex, taking PrEP, and contracting syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV.

SEROPREVALENCE OF HBsAg, Anti-HBs, Anti-HCV, and Anti-HIV IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN AN AMATEM CLINIC IN EASTERN TURKIYE: A SIX-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION

Aim
 Substance abuse and concomitant infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality. Yet, the number of epidemiological studies regarding infectious diseases in people with substance abuse are limited in our country. In this study, the aim was to investigate the frequency of illegal alcohol and substance use in an Alcohol and Drug Research, Treatment and Training Centres (AMATEM) clinic in Turkey as well as the HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV parameters between the years of 2016-2021. 
 Material and Method
 HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV tests were conducted using the ELISA technique in 6881 alcohol and substance use disorder (ASUD). Urine samples from ASUD’s were analyzed for alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine metabolites. The results were evaluated retrospectively. 
 Results
 All of the 6881 ASUD’s were male with a mean age of 32.18±9.66 years. Of the 6881 ASUD’s included in the study, 4107 (59.7%) were opioid addicts; 1479 (21.5%) were mixed drug addicts; 897 (13%) were alcohol addicts; and the rest were addicts with other types of substance use. The mean age of the alcohol users was 45.33±13.03 and the mean age of opioid users was 29.90±7.13. The percentage of opioid addiction in 2016 was 71.2% which dropped to 28.7% in 2021. Meanwhile, the percentage of alcohol addiction was 13.6% in 2016 and increased to 21.4% in 2021; and the percentage of mixed drug use was 8.7% in 2016 and increased to 36.8% in 2021. HBsAg-positivity in opioid users (56.7%) was higher compared to cannabis users (2.6%) and mixed drug users (22.3%). Anti-HCV positivity of opioid users (69.4%) was found to be higher compared to alcohol (9.4%), cannabis (2%), and mixed drug (16.2%) users, and this finding was statistically significant (p=0.0001). Anti-HBs positivity of opioid users (63.1%) was found to be higher compared to alcohol (9.9%), cannabis (3%), and mixed drug (21%) users, and this finding was statistically significant (p=0.0001). Anti-HIV was determined negative in all ASUD’s. The highest rates of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HBs positivity were found in the 26-30 years of age. 
 Conclusion
 These findings indicate a high prevalence of intravenous substance abuse in the 26-30 years age group in our region as well as the high HBV and HCV rates in this patient group.

Prevalence of Substance use disorder among young adults hospitalized in the US hospital: A decade of change

IntroductionMental health disorders (MHD) and substance use disorders (SUD) lead to outstanding socioeconomic costs and increased hospital visits. However, very few studies have quantified this trend over time and across specific conditions. ​​Our study aims to investigate and compare the prevalence of MHDs and SUDs in hospitalizations between 2007 and 2017. MethodsWe used hospital records for 2007 and 2017 from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) datasets to identify young adults (18–44 years) hospitalized with MHD and SUD. The prevalence of MHD in hospitalized patients in 2017 vs. 2007 was measured and compared. We generated a multivariable logistic regression analysis controlled for confounders, including age, sex, race, and payer status. We evaluated these outcomes using Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI). ResultsA total 10,353,890 patients were included in 2007, and 8,569,789 patients were included in 2017. The prevalence of drug abuse among hospitalized patients was 8.4% in 2017 vs. 6.2% in 2007. Prevalence increased in both genders (15.7% vs. 13.0% among male, 5.7% vs. 3.9% among females) in 2017 vs. 2007. All psychiatric disorders showed a higher prevalence in 2017 compared to 2007.When stratified by race, the prevalence of substance use disorder increased among all races except Black race between 2017 vs. 2007. On multivariable analysis, widespread drug abuse was significantly associated with hospital admissions in 2017 vs. 2007 (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.20–1.34, p<0.001). These associations held across many substance abuse cases and mental health disorders except cocaine abuse (OR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.76–0.93, p<0.001). ConclusionThere was a significant rise in substance use disorder and psychiatric disorder a decade later, from 2007, in hospitalized patients in the age group 18–44 years. The most increase was observed in amphetamine use disorder and anxiety disorder. Suicide and intentional self-inflicted injury increased in all races, with a maximum increase observed in Native Americans. Further studies evaluating the factors responsible for this upward trend would be beneficial.

Prevalence and Pattern of Substance Abuse among 18 to 60 years Male in a Rural Area of District Etawah, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract: Adolescent and young people’s behavior is of major concern due to Substance abuse. According to WHO, Substance abuse is consistently or sporadic drug use inconsistent with or unrelated to acceptable medical practice. Globally, alcohol and tobacco as a risk factors cause 4.0% and 4.1% of the overall burden of disability respectively. Objective: To determine the prevalence of substance abuse among 18 to 60 years’ male in rural Etawah and to identify type and pattern of substance abuse. Material and Methods: It was a community based cross sectional study carried out in five block of district Etawah for a period of one and half year. 1500 participants were interviewed using pre designed pre-tested questionnaire and data regarding socio demographic profile and pattern of abuse were collected. Data was entered in Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed by SPSS version 24 using appropriate statistical test. Result: Among 1500 participants, majority were below 30 years of age (i.e. 42.8%). In this study prevalence of Substance use among was 47% [707/1500]. Among all the other substance use, smokeless tobacco showed highest prevalence. Conclusion: Substance use is common in both urban as well as in rural area. So there is a need to educate and aware people regarding bad effects of drug abuse.

Factors Influencing Drug Abuse among Youth (15-24 Years) in Kisenyi Slum, Kampala District of Uganda

Introduction: Globally, youths are at risk of engaging in drug abuse. In Uganda, the prevalence of drug abuse among youths is 70.1% which is a lot higher than that of East Africa which is approximated at 45.5%. The study examined the factors influencing drug abuse among the youth in Kisenyi slum of Kampala district. It specifically assessed the relationship between socio-cultural factors, economic factors, and individual factors on drug abuse among youth. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design in which a quantitative data collection approach was applied. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 239 youths. Data was cleaned, coded and entered into SPSS software for analysis. The results generated were in the form of descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square analyses and binary logistics regressions. Results: The study found that the following factors had a statistically significant relationship with drug abuse in Kisenyi slum; religious service attendance (AOR=0.12; 95%CI=0.02-0.68; p=0.03*), family structure (AOR=20.04; 95%CI= 1.75-29.66; p&lt;0.001*), family member smoking cigarettes/tobacco (AOR=0.83; 95%CI= 0.21-3.35; p=0.001*), a friend who drinks alcohol (AOR=1.21; 95%CI= 0.50-2.95; p=0.050*), a friend who smokes cigarettes/tobacco (AOR=0.47; 95%CI= 0.06-3.75; p=0.003*), television watching (AOR=3.56; 95%CI= 1.19-10.71; p&lt;0.001*), social media access (AOR=1.51; 95%CI= 0.51-4.42; p=0.002*), type of house lived in (AOR=3.64; 95%CI= 0.91-14.5; p&lt;0.001*), source of livelihood (AOR=0.88; 95%CI= 0.06-13.39; p=0.014*), drug availability (AOR=0.18; 95%CI= 0.03-1.20; p=0.029*), cost of drugs (AOR=5.92; 95%CI= 1.81-19.40; p&lt;0.001*), perceptions on drugs (AOR=0.70; 95%CI= 0.17-2.88; p=0.002*), and convenience in talking (AOR=1.41; 95%CI= 0.48-4.15; p=0.002*). Conclusion: It can be concluded that socio-cultural, economic and individual factors have a statistically significant influence on drug abuse among youths in Kisenyi Slum, Kampala district. The study recommends engagement of religious leaders to include drug abuse and its effects in their sermons, regular police patrols to remand street children, rolling out business, technical vocational education and training (BITVET) to provide skills to youths, support youth businesses with seed capital and identification of youth champions to sensitize youths on drug abuse, its dangers and how to overcome addiction.

Substance abuse, knowledge of its long-term effects and occurrence of depressive symptoms among health students in a Nigerian tertiary institution

Introduction: Substance abuse confers enormous health, psychosocial and economic cost on the society, it has been found to be prevalent among young people in both developing and developed countries alike. Depression is one of the commonest byproducts of drugs abuse. In this study we evaluated the knowledge of the long term effects of drugs abuse and its prevalence among students of the college of health sciences of Nnamdi Azikiwe. Methodology: The study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey done among final year undergraduate students of the College of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. A total of 200 students took part in the study. Data collection was with the use of semi structured, self-administered questionnaires, which were developed according to the specific objectives. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22. Result: The result showed a high prevalence of substance abuse among students of health sciences. Alcohol, with a rate of 31.5% is the most abused substance among the students surveyed, it is also the most abused substance among students in the school environment. The prevalence of depression for this study, which was done using the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), is 60.5%, with 12% having borderline clinical depression, 30% having moderate depression, 14% having severe depression and 4.5% having extreme depression. Conclusion: Substance use and Depressive symptoms remains high among young people and is more in college students who represent the economic fulcrum and future of any society. It is recommended that further studies be done to evaluate for the depression distribution using other demographic indices as well as the causal relationship between substance use and depression.

Cops and drugs: Illicit drug abuse by police personnel

Aim: Patterns and prevalence of psychoactive drug use are unique in the professions and vary by profession as well as by type of practice (e.g., private/public), gender, and career stage. In this study, we attempt to summarise the results of research over the past decades on the use of illegal substances by law enforcement officers.Methodology: A literature search was performed in PubMed, HeinOnline, GoogleScholar and other relavant database (such as US Department of Justice) from their inception through April 2022.Findings: In total, 26 studies met the search criteria. Research data clearly indicates that, in addition to alcohol and smoking, the use of illegal drugs is also prevalent among police officers. Our review shows that the prevalence of illcit drug use ranges widely (0,22% – 21,6%). Results suggest that estimates of the prevalence of illegal substance abuse by police are influenced by a number of factors, such as: research methodology. deliberate distortion of data; social differences.Value: Studies on substance abuse by police officers focus on legal drug consumption (alcohol and smoking) and mostly do not address illicit drug use. However, limited results show that, in addition to alcohol consumption and smoking, police officers also use illegal drugs. There are many consequences of drug use by police officers.

Psychometric properties of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and prevalence of drug use among SA site-based construction workers

ABSTRACT Construction workers in South Africa are an at-risk group for HIV/AIDS. Substance misuse, other than alcohol, is associated with poor decision-making, risky lifestyle behaviour, and non-use of condoms. Substance misuse is also associated with harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption and depression. The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is a widely used screening tool to detect drug abuse. The present study examines both the psychometric properties of the DUDIT and the prevalence of drug abuse among construction workers. A field study involving 496 male workers at 18 construction sites of seven construction companies in the Western Cape province of South Africa, was undertaken. Descriptive statistics, reliability, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the prevalence of substance use, and the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the DUDIT. Approximately 10% of participants reported some form of substance use. Four hundred and sixty-seven employees (94.2%) were determined not to have drug-related problems (DUDIT score < 6). Of the at-risk employees (score >5), 5.0% (n = 25) were classified as ‘possibly having a drug-related problem’ (score 6–24) and 0.8% (n = 4) as ‘possibly highly dependent on drugs’ (score 25 or more). Of the 47 employees who reported drug use, 29 (61.7%) were classified as having a medium to high risk in relation to drug use. The internal consistency of the DUDIT was very good. The DUDIT reported a one-factor factorial structure, and the model fit indices indicated good model fit to the data. All factor loadings were significant, but there was some evidence of collinearity. Concurrent validity was demonstrated. DUDIT items 1 and 10 require further investigation due to their poor performance compared to the other items. The contribution of these two items needs to be investigated using item response theory (IRT).

PEMILIHAN TEMPAT PENYULUHAN BERDASARKAN TINGKAT KERAWANAN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE SMART

The National Narcotics Agency is a non-structural institution tasked with coordinating relevant government agencies in the formulation of policies and their implementation in the field of availability, prevention, eradication, abuse and illicit trafficking of narcotics (P4GN). In an effort to contain the rate of increase in the prevalence of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Binjai City, the National Narcotics Agency of Binjai City conducts anti-drug counseling activities to the entire community. In this study, the SMART (Simple Multi Attribute Rating Technique) method was used to build a web-based system that aims to make it easier to determine the right place for anti-drug counseling. The results of this study indicate that by applying the method (Simple Multi Attribute Rating Technique) the best alternative can be obtained, namely A5 (Tunggorono Village) with the criteria values: C1 (Number of Drug Crime Cases) = 0.3; C2 (Crime Rate) = 0.25; C3 (Narcotics Use Rate) = 0.20; C4 (Drug Location) = 0.15; C5 (Low Social Interaction) = 0.1 with a total final result of 1.

Analyzing Police Communication Strategies for Preventing Teenage Drug Abuse in Simpang Kanan Subdistrict, Rokan Hilir Regency

This research delves into the efficacy of police communication strategies in combating drug abuse among teenagers in Simpang Kanan Subdistrict, situated within the Rokan Hilir Regency of Indonesia. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study navigates the intricate interplay of cultural dynamics, community engagement, and the effectiveness of varied communication channels employed by law enforcement agencies. Quantitative analysis unveils statistical trends in drug abuse prevalence among teenagers, shedding light on the impact of specific communication strategies. Concurrently, qualitative exploration delves into perceptions, experiences, and stakeholder feedback, offering depth to the understanding of the multifaceted issue. Findings underscore the strengths of community engagement initiatives and diverse communication channels, showcasing heightened awareness and positive behavioral shifts among teenagers. Yet, limitations such as data constraints, sampling intricacies, and resource limitations temper the comprehensiveness of the analysis. The implications drawn from this research advocate for tailored, culturally sensitive approaches, community-driven interventions, and continuous evaluation mechanisms in future policy changes. These insights transcend regional boundaries, offering a framework adaptable to analogous contexts worldwide. This research serves as a beacon, illuminating pathways toward combating teenage drug abuse.

A Cross Sectional Study to Assess Prevalence, Pattern,Trend and Impact of Substance Abuse among Medical Students

Background: Substance abuse remains a covert yet well known phenomenon among medicos and medical practitionersglobally, and Substance abuse assumes special significance among the medical students as they are the future medicalpractitioners and have a potential role in treating and counselling[4] the patients of substance abuse disorder. Medicaleducation has always been regarded as highly stressful[5]. Although, only the academic minded youth in the society tendto be selected for medical education, the stressful academic environment can exert a negative effect on the psychologicaland physical well being of medical students. The doctors are vulnerable to Substance abuse due to their ready accessibilityto the substance .Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 232 medical students of Karnataka Institute Of Medical Sciencesand various other medical colleges of Karnataka with the help of a structural questionnaire .Conclusion: It is observed that majority of the participants have adequate knowledge and practices regarding substanceabuse. But some fraction of them indulged in substance abuse despite knowing their ill effects. They use various substancessuch as alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes in various forms such as powders, inhalants, injections, liquid forms etc. Howevertrend towards increasing proportion of substance abuse was observed among students of medical field.The findingssuggest that substance abuse in medical students frequently precipitates severe lapses in professionalism and too oftenendangers the life of not only the students who are using it but also the life of peers and others they may care for/treatin the future.

Sexual behavior and drug use impact in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

BackgroundThe emergence of chemsex has raised several concerns about gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men's (GBMSM) health. In this study we aim to analyze illicit drugs and chemsex use, sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in GBMSM who attended to a sexual health clinic and to explore any potential association between drug use and STI. MethodsWe conducted an observational study between January and June 2019 among GBMSM population attending to a STI clinic in Barcelona, Spain. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was given consecutively to all participants older than 18 years who accepted to participate. ResultsA total of 514 GBMSM (median age of 34 years-old) were included. The median number of sexual partners in the last year was 20. Seventy-one percent did not use condoms consistently for receptive anal intercourse. Drug abuse prevalence in the preceding year was 64.2%, and 26.5% of the individuals practiced chemsex. Gamma-hydroxibutyrate/gammabutyrolactone, poppers and methamphetamine were the most common drugs in chemsex. Chemsex was associated to group sex (OR 9.8 [95 CI: 4–24]), HIV infection (OR 2.5 [95 CI: 1.1–5.8]), taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (OR 3.2 [95 CI: 1.5–7.1]), developing gonorrhea (OR 3.7 [95 CI: 1.5–8.8]) or syphilis (OR 6.7 [95 CI: 2.4–18.7]). ConclusionsThe prevalence of drug use and chemsex was high among GBMSM in Barcelona. Chemsex was associated with group sex, taking PrEP, and contracting syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV.

Burnout and Engagement's Relationship to Drug Abuse in Lawyers and Law Professionals.

Investigate the associations between drug abuse and the prevalence of the engagement and burnout dichotomy in law professionals. Eligible participants completed a questionnaire where odds ratios of drug abuse and other confounding variables and their association to engagement or burnout were calculated using multiple logistic regression. When looking at all law professionals, burnout is a statistically significant predictor for drug abuse ( P = 0.04, not shown). Law professionals whose burnout scores fell in the highest bin have 4.71 (95% CI [1.38-16.08]) times higher odds of having a problem with drug abuse than those whose burnout scores fell in the second bin. Study findings showed a possible way to affect the prevalence of drug abuse in law professionals by affecting the engagement and burnout dichotomy.

RADII FOR CERTAIN CLASS DEFINED BY DIFFERENTIAL OPERATOR

The aim of the study was to identify substance abuse among medical students of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, and correlate it with their urine samples. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 undergraduate students of the College of Medicine University of Lagos, Nigeria. Ethical approval was obtained for the study and informed consent obtained from the participants before the commencement of the study. Data on the knowledge and prevalence of drug addiction were collected from the undergraduate students using a validated self-developed questionnaire while standard sample bottles were used to collect the students’ urine samples. Data collected were summarized using descriptive statistics. Chi-square was used to establish an association between the variables. Results: Sixty-three (42.2%) male and 87 (57.8%) female medical students participated in this study out of which 99 (65.9%) had good knowledge of drug addiction, 21 (15.6%) admitted that they have taken drugs not prescribed by a physician while 33(24.4%) claimed to have previously done drug test. The prevalence of drug abuse among the students was 15.6%. The age with the highest rate of drug abuse was 11–18 years. Tramadol was the most abused drug by the students while the most preferred route of drug abuse was oral route 20 (14.8%). Conclusion: There was a low prevalence of substance abuse among the medical students. BIOEASYTM immunoassay Multi-Drug Test Card was effective in screening the student’s urine. There is an urgent need for interventions like health education and training to be established in our higher institutions.

Old Age Psychiatry and Prison

Old age population is growing steadily during last decades (WHO 2017). Old population suffer from more morbidity including mental disorders (De Lorito,2018). This fact also applies for prison population (Yortons 2006) and in the lasts years has been an increasing interest for this topicThe aging of the world population is reflected in the penitentiary setting, with a progressive increase of elderly inmates. These prisoners present complex clinical processes with multiple comorbidities, requiring a specialized approach. In the 2020, the old age population in prison (considered over 60 years old) is around 5% in Catalonia (377 inmates,), same proportion (5%) in Spain.If we consider the cut-off point 50 y.o. (as other research) the proportion is 12% Our aims are to describe sociodemographical and clinical characteristics of old age inmates (over 50 y. o.) who required to be admitted to psychiatric unit in Catalan prisons between 2016 and 2020. The asample of this study will be around 150 inmates admitted in our unit. Elderly inmates present a high prevalence of substance abuse (especially alcohol), affective symptoms (depression) and cognitive deterioration. Likewise, is observed a significant presence of personality disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic disorders, psychotic disorders, and physical comorbidities. Prisoners over 50 have a different profile from the rest of the prison population. They suffer more physical and mental illnesses, so they require specific health and social approach. It would be advisable to adapt clinical care by optimizing resources, developing prison psychogeriatrics and establishing specific evaluation and treatment methodDisclosureNo significant relationships.

Pattern and Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among Medical Interns of a Tertiary Care Hospital; South India

Background- Over the decades we are witnessing an increasing trends of substance abuse globally. Easy accessibility and work place stress adds on to the vulnerable medical students to indulge in various substance abuses. Here we aim to assess the pattern and prevalence of substance abuse among medical interns of a tertiary care hospital, Mangalore Karnataka. Methods- A cross sectional survey was conducted among consented 114 medical interns using a semi structured proforma in a tertiary care hospital, Mangalore Results- Prevalence of substance abuse were found to be 32% of which alcohol abuse was the highest followed by tobacco abuse and cannabis. Conclusion- Substance abuse was highly prevalent among medical students. Early intervention to curb the dependence pattern is very much essential as to maintain the integrity of medical fraternity.

The prevalence of substance abuse and associated factors among male prisoners in Karachi jails, Pakistan

ObjectiveSubstance abuse and cigarette smoking are now regarded as major public health problems. This study aims to determine the prevalence, risk profile, and associated sociodemographic factors of substance abuse among male prisoners in Karachi jails. MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 600 male prisoners in Malir and Central Jails in Karachi. The principal investigator collected the data via one-on-one basis interviews, using a survey questionnaire consisting of the WHO ASSIST version 3, and structured demographic proforma. The data analysis regarding ever and current use of ten substances was done according to the standard instruction manual. A Chi-square test was applied to determine the association between categorical sociodemographic variables and current/ever substance use among prisoners. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsIn this study, 97.1% of prisoners had a history of substance abuse at least once in their lifetime. For the current use of a substance, the majority of the prisoners fell into the low-risk category, except for tobacco for which 80.5% of prisoners were at moderate risk of use. 13%, 12.7%, and 9.5% of prisoners were at high risk for using opioids, cannabis, and tobacco, respectively. Several associations were found between the socioeconomic factors of the study subjects and their substance use. ConclusionThe study demonstrates a high prevalence and alarming current risk profile of substance abuse among prisoners of Karachi Jails. Considering the associated disease burden, substance abuse among prisoners should be considered a public health priority. Further exploration of associated and causative factors can help policymakers devise adequate measures for prevention and rehabilitation.

Cognitive Profiles of Adolescent Inpatients with Substance Use Disorder.

The prevalence of substance abuse is high during adolescence, and several studies have linked the use of alcohol and cannabis in adolescence to different cognitive impairments. To investigate whether specific cognitive deficits can be observed in adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD), we compared the cognitive profiles of inpatient adolescents diagnosed with SUD to a control group matched for sex, age and educational status. The inpatient adolescents received diagnoses of cannabis use disorder, alcohol use disorder or both. We compared the WISC-V profiles of 22 inpatients (45.5% female, Mage: 14.5; SD: 0.8) and the WAIS-IV profiles of 27 inpatients (44.4% female, Mage: 17.1; SD: 0.9) to 49 matched control participants with no diagnosed SUD. At the time of testing, participants were hospitalized for treatment of their SUD and were abstinent for a period of at least 6 weeks. To gain greater power, we jointly analyzed the Verbal Comprehension Index, Working Memory Index, Processing Speed Index and Full Scale IQ as assessed by WISC-V and WAIS-IV. The clinical group performed significantly worse than the control group on all the above indices. When only the group of inpatients was observed, in a model with the factors sex, educational status, presence of a comorbid diagnosis of depression and the number of comorbid diagnoses, only the factor educational status was significantly associated with the Full Scale IQ, whereas the factors sex and a comorbid diagnosis of depression in this group were associated with the Processing Speed Index. The results show that adolescents diagnosed with SUD (cannabis and/or alcohol) display broad cognitive impairments after 6 weeks of abstinence. Future research is required to further explore the role of comorbid diagnoses.

ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG COMMERCIAL MOTORCYCLE OPERATORS IN MINNA, NIGERIA.

The prevalence of psychoactive substance abuse among commercial motorcycle operators in Minna is of public health concern and has become worrisome as a result of their engagement in high-risk behaviour, unsafe lane-splitting and weave in and out of traffic with little caution, putting passengers and other road users at great risk. They also, dominate the road space, overtake along wrong side of traffic, and drive against traffic. This study was invariably designed to assess the extent of abuse of psychoactive substance among commercial motorcycle operators in Minna metropolis. A cross-sectional survey in which multi-stage sampling technique was adopted in dividing Minna into to Local Government Area and 372 structured questionnaires were administered to commercial motorcycle operators at three selected designated parks and operating units (i.e., Bosso, Sauka-kahuta and Kpakungu) within Minna metropolis. Findings reveals that 69.3% of commercial motorcycles operators were between the age of 21-40 years old, 45.2% had primary and secondary education with 52.7% earning less than #50,000 monthly. Unemployment and poverty accounted for 46% of factors influencing drug abuse. While, Tramadol, Codeine and Solution accounted for 98.4% of the total variance of effect of substance abuse with 47% of abused drugs gotten through street traders and peddlers. Multiple linear regression used to assed the effects of drugs abuse shows that the coefficient of determination R2 is 0.532 (53%), ANOVA; F = 38.284, P = 0.000. The following recommendations were made based on the findings; There is need for National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and ACOMMORON to collaborate in establishing a robust monitoring post at major parks in order to monitor, control and arrest drug abuse offenders. Finally, relevant Government agencies should introduce awareness and sensitization programs on the danger of substance abuse.