Prevalence and correlates of illicit and non-medical use of psychotropic drugs in Japan

Abstract

The present study confirmed lower prevalence of drug use in Japan than in other countries, such as the United States. However, the non-medical use of psychotropic drugs seems more common in Japan.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Incident Hepatitis C Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men With HIV-1 Infection in a Large Urban HIV Clinic in Tokyo

“…[8][9][10][11][12][13][14] In Japan, because of the low prevalence of injection drug use in the general population (lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use as a whole in 2009 was only 2.9%), coinfection with HCV in patients with HIV-1 infection is rare. [15][16][17][18] Recently, however, at our clinic, the AIDS Clinical Center, Tokyo, there has been a surge in the rate of acute HCV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV-1 infection who deny using injection drugs. The AIDS Clinical Center is one of the largest referral centers for HIV care in Japan with patients mostly comprising MSM.…”

Illicit Drug Use Is a Significant Risk Factor for Loss to Follow Up in Patients with HIV-1 Infection at a Large Urban HIV Clinic in Tokyo

“…However, illicit drug users are one of the “difficult to reach” populations and it is difficult to obtain accurate data on them [19]. It is especially difficult in Japan to collect data on illicit drug users, because of a strong government policy against illicit drug use and extremely low lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use in the general population (2.9% in 2009 according to the Nationwide General Population Survey on Drug Use and Abuse) [20,21] ( http://www.ncnp.go.jp/nimh/pdf/h21.pdf . in Japanese) ( http://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/iyakuhin/yakubuturanyou/torikumi/dl/index-04.pdf .…”

Epidemiology of comorbid substance use and psychiatric disorders in Asia

“…Families may play a restrictive role by preventing patients from using substances; as the disability pension from the governments is generally meagre, the patients may not be able to afford the substances [35,44]. Further, in some countries, the laws governing the use of illicit substances are quite strict [9]; patients with severe mental disorders may find it hard to obtain substances in this background. Further, adverse attitudes of the society towards the use of both licit and illicit substances may act as deterrents by adding to the stigma of having a mental disorder, particularly in women, in these countries.…”

“…Tominaga et al [9] reported the prevalence of illicit substance use and nonmedical use of prescription drugs as part of the Japanese part of the World Mental Health Survey (WMHSJ). The rates of lifetime use of illicit drugs including cannabis and cocaine were not more in those with psychiatric comorbidity than those without.…”