Substance abuse pattern among medical college students in Tumkur, Karnataka, India: a cross sectional study

Abstract

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.

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

“…Mean age of initiation of substance abuse was 20±2 years in our study. Mir AR et al [9] stated majority of their study population started abusing substance from 20-23 years of age which was similar to our results.…”

“…Among the abuser's alcohol was abused more (62.5%). Similar results were seen by Mir AR et al [9] which showed 36.6% of total sample abused alcohol. Also, a study from Kolkata showed alcohol abuse was present in 27% of medical students [5] although comparatively lesser people 2.1% each abused stimulants and hallucinogens each, availability of these newer drugs is of raising concern.…”

“…Hostellers abused more substance than those who resided at home in our study. This was supported by studies done by Mir AR et al [9] (62.5%) and Baba T et al [10] (37.5%). Mean age of initiation of substance abuse was 20±2 years in our study.…”

Magnitude of Substance Use and Its Associated Factors Among the Medical Students in India and Implications for Medical Education: A Narrative Review

“…Living away from the family and staying at hostels (as compared to staying with their families) was associated with an increase in substance use, 19 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 72 – 74 , 80 a finding consistent with the previous research. 50 Staying away from the family has also been associated with heavy episodic drinking and increased severity of alcohol-related adverse consequences.…”

Psychoactive Substances Abuse Trends Among Medical Students of Lahore; A Cross Sectional Study

“…The maximum number of students get drugs from their friends. Such results were familiar with studies by Mir et al and Jagnany et al where friends and peer pressure were the major source of drug supply and abuse initiation 17,18 . The relationship between money and drug abuse is of particular interest, as the abuser used all of the income for drugs.…”