Use of alcohol, tobacco and non prescription drugs among Jamaican high school students

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and non-prescription drugs was investigated among 2417 Jamaican high school students (1063 boys, 1354 girls). 1317 were grade 10 (form four or 16 years old) and 1100 were grade 11 (form five or 17 years old) 1072 and 1345 were from rural and urban schools, respectively; and 1126 and 1291 were children of professionals and non-professionals, respectively. The prevalence of alcohol and tobacoo use was 50.2 percent and 16.6 percent, respectively; and there was a high level of non-prescription drug use paracetamol (85.7 percent), aspirin (76.7 percent), multivitmains (41.9 percent) and bismuth (29.9 percent). Drugs use among males, urban students, and children of professionals was higher than among females, rural students and children of non-professionals.(AU)