Survey finds increased substance use in Jamaica in last 7 yrs

While men remain more likely to engage in substance abuse locally, the gender gap is narrowing, with a growing number of women now using substances, compared to previous years.

This was revealed in the recently launched 2023 National Drug Prevalence Survey, which indicates that the three most commonly abused substances among the populace are alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who presented the survey’s findings at Monday’s press launch, emphasised that there has been a noticeable increase in substance use over the past seven years.

He highlighted the harmful impact of these substances on Jamaicans’ physical, social, and economic well-being.

“Unfortunately, despite the proven dangers, drug use persists and, in some context, proliferates. It is critical, therefore, that we open the conversation, providing Jamaicans with the facts about drug use and, in so doing, help to create the necessary enabling environment for sound decision-making,” he said.

The survey, which was interviewer-administered over the course of eight months, engaged 4,991 participants islandwide.

Tufton said that the findings will inform policy decisions and help guide timely interventions, particularly for adolescents who are increasingly exposed to substances while still in school.

The survey examined various dimensions of substance use, including lifetime prevalence (whether an individual has ever used a substance), past-year use, and current use patterns.

Tufton noted that while men were typically the ones to abuse drugs more than females, based on the previous survey done in 2016, “what is being experienced in several societies is the narrowing of the gender gap with a greater proportion however, of women using substances than in the past years”.

Tufton highlighted that the age of initiation for drug use among men is typically two years earlier than among women, with males generally starting at age 16, compared to females at age 18.

In terms of specific substance use, the survey found that 77.4 per cent of Jamaicans have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, with 60.6 per cent using alcohol in the past year and 46.2 per cent within the past month.

Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana or ganja, was used by 30.4 per cent of Jamaicans over their lifetime, with 19.2 per cent having used it in the past year and 17.1 per cent within the past month.

Tobacco use was reported by 31.5 per cent of the population, with 76.8 per cent having used it within the past year and 11.8 per cent in the past month.

Tufton noted that the survey did not find significant levels of use for newer psychoactive substances, such as MDMA (ecstasy), molly, lean (a combination of cough syrup, medicines, and sweets), and magic mushrooms, which are gaining popularity among adolescents and young adults. However, he acknowledged that these substances are primarily confined to specific segments of the population. Data on these substances will be further explored in upcoming findings from a synthetic drug rapid assessment conducted across Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Among the general population, use of synthetic cannabis, MDMA, lean and magic mushrooms account for ... just below one per cent of the population,” he revealed.

Seven per cent of the population, on the other hand, were found to have used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) at some point in their lifetime, and nearly 20 per cent had used grabba (marijuana mixed with tobacco leaf) – a popular practice among young men.

In a further breakdown of drug use prevalence, Tufton noted that parishes with higher use of alcohol than the national prevalence of 46 per cent include Trelawny (57.5 per cent), St Ann (54.3 per cent), and Kingston (52.2 per cent).

For use of marijuana, Kingston had the highest, representing 27 per cent, then Trelawny (23.2 per cent) and Clarendon (21.8 per cent), with the national prevalence level of 17 per cent.

Further, the parishes with the most prevalent use of tobacco include St Andrew (17.5 per cent), Trelawny (16.1 per cent), and St Ann (14.5 per cent), with a national prevalence level of 11.8 per cent.

The survey was conducted by the National Council on Drug Abuse – a department within the health ministry – which partnered with The University of the West Indies, Mona’s Centre for Leadership and Governance, and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States. Further support was given by the National Health Fund.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com