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

Abstract

The prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and non-prescription drug use was investigated among 2,417 Jamaican high school students (1,063 boys, 1,354 girls). 1,317 were grade 10 (form four or 16 years old) and 1,100 were grade 11 (form five or 17 years old); 1,072 and 1,345 were from rural and urban schools, respectively; and 1,126 and 1,291 were children of professionals and non-professionals, respectively. The prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use was 50.2% and 16.6%, respectively; and there was a high level of non-prescription drug use: paracetamol (85.7%), aspirin (76.7%), multivitamins (41.9%) and bismuth (29.9%). Drug use among males, urban students, and children of professionals was higher than among females, rural students and children of non-professionals.