Alcohol and drug taking among medical students at a Nigerian university campus: Part 2. Sociodemographic factors of etiologic significance.

In a survey of Nigerian undergraduate medical students, alcohol and drug users were classified as frequent users, casual users, and nonusers. Place of residence during session and family structure recorded no significant contribution to the development of substance abuse. Male sex, poor performance on examinations, drug taking among close friends and peers, and a family background of lower socioeconomic status emerged as sociodemographic factors correlating positively with the presence of substance abuse. Health education, controlled distribution of drugs and alcohol, stringent regulatory provisions against their use, and a permanent Commission on Substance Abuse with full judicial powers are suggested as measures that may help control the abuse of psychoactive substances and the hazard they pose to public health.