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Prevalence of Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use Among Ghanaian Senior Secondary Students in an Urban Setting

NCJ Number
202532
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: 2003 Pages: 53-65
Author(s)
Samuel Adu-Mireku Ph.D.
Date Published
2003
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the prevalence of, and the relationship between the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana among senior secondary school students in Ghana.
Abstract
While the prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, and other drug use among adolescents around the world has caused a major health care crisis, scant studies have focused specifically on these problems in sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana, in particular, should be a focus of concern because alcohol and cigarettes are legal to minors in this area. The author administered a modified version of the youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire to 894 senior secondary school students in Accra, Ghana. Questions focused on self-reported lifetime and current drug use. Results of chi-square and logistic regression analyses revealed that the prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use in Ghana was lower than other African countries and Western countries. Lifetime rates of alcohol use were 25.1 percent; lifetime cigarette use was 7.5 percent; and lifetime marijuana use was 2.6 percent. Boys were more likely to be lifetime users of all three drugs, but not current users of all three drugs. Logistic regression analysis indicated that lifetime alcohol use was significantly related to lifetime use of both cigarettes and marijuana. Despite lower-than-expected prevalence rates, the author cautions that stronger prevention campaigns are necessary due to the increasing availability of alcohol and cigarettes to minors in Ghana. Tables, references

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