Self-reported substance use in Iraq: findings from the Iraqi National Household Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use, 2014

Abstract

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in Iraq using data from the Iraqi National Household Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use (INHSAD).

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Trained surveyors conducted face-to-face household interviews.

Setting: Iraq, from April 2014 to December 2014.

Participants: A total of 3200 adult, non-institutionalized Iraqi citizens residing across all 18 governorates of Iraq.

Measurements: We estimated weighted prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for life-time, past-year and past-month use of a variety of substances (tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs and illicit drugs). For each substance, we also estimated whether individuals knew people who currently use the substance.

Findings: Self-reported past-month tobacco use was 23.2% (95% CI = 21.40, 25.19). Past-month alcohol use was 3.2% (95% CI = 2.58, 3.93). Women reported significantly lower prevalence for both tobacco and alcohol use compared with men (P-value < 0.01 for both). Only 1.4% (95% CI = 0.67, 3.02) reported past-month non-medical use of any prescription drugs. None of the women reported using any illicit drugs, and only 0.2% (95% CI = 0.07, 0.49) of men reported using any illicit drugs in the past month. Approximately 90.5% (95% CI = 88.58, 92.11) knew someone who uses tobacco, 42.4% (95% CI = 39.53, 45.24) knew someone who drinks alcohol, 27.9% (95% CI = 25.53, 30.45) knew someone who uses medication outside a doctor's instructions and 9.2% (95% CI = 7.87, 10.75) knew someone who uses an illicit drug.

Conclusions: Psychoactive drug use is generally low in Iraq, tobacco being highest at an estimated 23.2%. Iraqi women report significantly less substance use than Iraqi men, which may be related to cultural gender norms. Discrepancy between self-report and 'knowing someone who uses a substance' suggests under-reporting in this population.

Keywords: Alcohol; Iraq; drug; hookah; illicit; prescription; prevalence; smoking; substance abuse; tobacco.