Gateway Psychoactive Substances and Adolescent Secondary School Students in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Use of gateway substances by adolescents usually precedes use of hard substances. Aims: Determine prevalence of use of gateway substances, age at first use and associated factors.
Methods: Instruments consisting of sociodemographic variables and alcohol , tobacco, cannabis, stimulant use sections of World Health Organisation Questionnaire for Student Drug Use Surveys were
administered on secondary school students in Benin City.
Results: Current prevalence rates of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and cannabis use were 29.0%, 22.8%,
3.9% and 1.5%, past year rates were 41.9%, 30.3%, 6.0% and 1.9% while lifetime rates were 55.9%, 46.7%, 9.2% and 2.6%. Use of gateway substances started before age 15 years for majority of students while age, sex, family type, having a friend at school or a family member that uses tobacco and dis-satisfaction with relationship with teacher significantly differentiated tobacco users from non-users.
Conclusion: Control programmes must target schools and families.

Key words: Gateway substances, adolescents , prevalence , sociodemographic characteristics