Use and abuse of licit and illicit substances: prevalence and risk factors among students in Lebanon.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims at examining the patterns of 'substance' use in Lebanon among an 'at risk' population, the university students.


METHODS
A stratified cluster sample of 1,851 students from two major universities was included in the study and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (version 3) was administered.


RESULTS
The prevalence of nicotine users in the sample was 18.3% and of ever consuming alcohol 49.4%. 2.1% of the sample were alcohol abusers and 2.4% alcohol dependents according to DSM-III criteria. For the remaining substances, tranquilizers were found to have the highest rate of ever use (10.2%), whereas heroin had the lowest rate (0.4%); the rates of abuse and dependence in these categories (other than alcohol and nicotine) following DSM-III criteria ranged from 0.1 to 0.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
University students in Lebanon in this study have relatively low rates of use and abuse of substances but this might be changing.
Karam
E
E
Department of Psychiatry, St. George Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. egkaram@dm.net.lb
Melhem
N
N
Mansour
C
C
Maalouf
W
W
Saliba
S
S
Chami
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D015994:Incidence; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
D013287:Illicit Drugs