Routes of Administration of Illicit Drugs among Young Swiss Men: Their Prevalence and Associated Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Adverse Outcomes

The prevalence of different routes of administration (ROAs) of illicit drugs other than cannabis was examined in young Swiss men, in addition to the association between socio-demographics and adverse outcomes and particular ROAs. Our sample consisted of 754 men (mean age = 25.4 ± 1.2 years) who part...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Natalia Estévez-Lamorte, Simon Foster, Gerhard Gmel, Meichun Mohler-Kuo
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
Materias:
R
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/ed4c237c5e534172ab4b64a417e944fd
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:The prevalence of different routes of administration (ROAs) of illicit drugs other than cannabis was examined in young Swiss men, in addition to the association between socio-demographics and adverse outcomes and particular ROAs. Our sample consisted of 754 men (mean age = 25.4 ± 1.2 years) who participated in the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors and reported using any of 18 illicit drugs over the last 12 months. Prevalence estimates were calculated for oral use, nasal use, smoking, injecting, and other ROAs. Associations between ROAs and socio-demographics and adverse outcomes (i.e., alcohol use disorder (AUD), suicidal ideations, and health and social consequences) were calculated for using single versus multiple ROAs. The most prevalent ROA was oral use (71.8%), followed by nasal use (59.2%), smoking (22.1%), injecting (1.1%), and other ROAs (1.7%). Subjects’ education, financial autonomy, and civil status were associated with specific ROAs. Smoking was associated with suicidal ideations and adverse health consequences and multiple ROAs with AUD, suicidal ideations, and health and social consequences. The most problematic pattern of drug use among young adults appears to be using multiple ROAs, followed by smoking. Strategies to prevent and reduce the use of such practices are needed to avoid adverse outcomes at this young age.