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Abstract
Objectives: To assess adolescents’ knowledge about drug abuse and abusers among secondary school students; to identify perception of secondary school students as regard drug abuse and abusers; to identify the types of abused substances among students; and to assess knowledge and perception of the suspected addicts toward the abused substances. Subjects and Methods: The study sample comprised 578 secondary schools students aged 15-18 years (378 males and 200 females). Data were collected using a specially designed questionnaire sheet. Results: Home was the best preferred place by students for substance abuse (45.2%). The highest percentage of abusers is at the age of 16 years (70%). Urban students are more liable to practice substance abuse than rural students (67.2% vs. 55.8%, respectively). About one fourth of substance abusers do not intend to stop their abuse (23.5%). However, 14.4% want to get cured of substance abuse. The items best known by students were withdrawal symptoms (26.6%) and dependence (22.5%). The television occupied the highest rank for main sources for information about substance abuse (35.8%). Friends were stated as the main source for information by 30.1% of the students. More than one third of fathers of suspected addict students were illiterate (35.1%), while 45.9% of their mothers were illiterate. The main sources for obtaining abused substance by those who are suspected addicts were friends (51.3%) and pharmacists (40.5%). Suspected addicts tended to be significantly older (p<0.001), more urban (p<0.001), at a higher scholastic year (p<0.001), smokers (p<0.001). Stress, curiosity and fatigue were the main reasons for substance abuse among not suspected addicts (19.4%, 18.7% and 10.9%, respectively) while treatment, sharing with friends and stress were the main reasons for substance abuse among suspected addicts (45.9%, 13.5% and 10.8%, respectively). The main abused substance was solvents and others were the main substances abused among not suspected addicts (16.3% and 25.1%) compared with tranquilizers, stimulants and tablets (32.4%, 29.7% and 21.6%, respectively). Conclusions: Most common types of dependence-producing known to or abused by students were alcohol, cannabis, tranquilizers, solvents and stimulants. The main sources of students’ information are the mass media and friends, while purchase, merchants and friends are the main source of introduction to the initial use of drugs. The peak age for incidence of substance abuse is around 16 years. Recommendations: To conduct a national program for prevention of substance abuse. Parents should discuss parenting styles, behavior modification methods and faulty child rearing practices, child relationships and the psychological effects on the child at school, and with his mother and father. Mass media should be activated to provide current and accurate information regarding drugs to misbeliefs and misconceptions related to effects of drugs. School health nurses should be properly trained for early case finding, referral and management. Law enforcement and to conduct strict control over importation, production, distribution and purchase of drugs that may potentially cause addiction. Further research is needed in the areas of beliefs and attitudes adopted by substance abusers, opinions regarding health, satisfaction with various areas in life, prevalence of psychological stress and effects of abused substances.