Abstract

Background: The substances abuse has become one of the major public health problems of present society. Illicit drug use in India is quite serious, with a population of over 1 billion people, millions of victims of different kinds of drug abuse are estimated. Objective: The study aimed to know the socio-demographic profile and pattern of substance abuse among patients presenting to a deaddiction centre in a teaching hospital of Punjab. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted from April 15, 2016 to June 15, 2016. Three hundred consecutive treatment seeking subjects, fulfilling American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - IV-TR criteria for substance-dependence were included in the study. Results: Opioids were abused by 179 (59.67%) and alcohol by 87 (29%) of the patients. The age of initiation was below 27 years in 81.67% of the patients. As regards the reason behind initiation, improved sexual performance (25.33%) and peer pressure (25%) were two most important reasons cited. Conclusion: Opioids were the most frequently abused substances followed by alcohol and has become one of the major public health problem of the society.

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