Background: Globally, there are 2 billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million are drug users. These are accounting for 12.4% of all deaths worldwide. The doctors are vulnerable to substance abuse due to their ready accessibility to the substance of abuse. Medical training is identified as full of stress and it is also observed that students undergo tremendous stress during various years of medical training. Repeated use of drugs can damage essential decision making and effect judgment of actions. This could be disastrous if substance abusers are medical professionals who have direct dealing with human lives. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at a medical college in Tumkur district of Karnataka. A semi structured questionnaire was used to interview 379 medical students who were willing to participate. Results: Prevalence of substance abuse among the students was found to be 25.9%. Substance abuse was highest among VII term students (III rd year) which was 25.3%. Alcohol was the single most preferred substance of abuse which was used by 36.40% of students. Curiosity for experience (42.4%) was major reason for initiation of substance abuse. Majority of students (45.5%) attained the harmful substances through friends. 76.6% of hostellers used harmful substances. Conclusions: Prevalence of substance abuse among medical college students was high. Students preferred alcohol products and tobacco most. Hosteller students are more likely to be exposed to substance abuse.

Background: Globally, more than 40% of pregnant women may experience acute obstetric problems. Most of maternal deaths were due to delay in identifying the complication, deciding to seek care, identifying and reaching a health facility and receiving adequate and appropriate treatment at the health facility. Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) is an intervention that addresses these delays by encouraging pregnant women, their families, and communities to effectively plan for births and deal with emergencies, if they occur. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among 371 antenatal women attending antenatal clinic in a District hospital. After getting consent, all of them were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Results: Out of 371 pregnant mothers, only 133 (35.85%) were well prepared for child birth. 28.03% of women didn't know even a single danger sign and 24.26% mentioned at least one danger sign. Only 23% of the pregnant women were sensitized by the health worker regarding the danger signs. Among the socio-demographic characteristics collected in this study, parity, education status of mother and husband and women who had child birth within 2 years was significantly associated with well preparedness status of BPACR. Conclusions: BPACR -preparedness was observed among 35.85%of pregnant mother. Awareness regarding danger signs during pregnancy, child birth and postpartum period were very poor. Preparedness was observed to improve with mother's and spouse education status, increase in parity and women had child birth within two years were better prepared. Receiving adequate and appropriate treatment at the health facility. Reduction in maternal mortality rate cannot be achieved unless we considered all these factors are considered. Keywords