title: Prevalence and abuse of psychoactive substances in children and adolescents.
abstract: The present study has been carried out in the slum areas of Gorakhpur city, covering a population of 10,187 in the four colleges of Gorakhpur. Five hundred and eighty children and adolescents in urban slums, and 750 college students between 10-18 years were studied by means of a questionnaire card for detection of prevalence rate and various others co-relates of abuse of psychoactive substances. Overall, prevalence of abuse of psychoactive substances was 25% in slum areas, and 18% in college students. Abuse of tobacco was most frequent (50.3% & 72.5%) followed by that of alcohol (11.7% & 16.2%) in both the groups respectively. Cannabis was also used by some children (0.6%). More abusers were from Hindu families with low educational status and low family income. Surprisingly no one was found to be abusing tablets and street drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, B.R.D. Medical College, Gorakhpur.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kushwaha
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rathi
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Rastogi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires