First household survey on drug abuse in São Paulo, Brazil, 1999: principal findings

Abstract

CONTEXT: In order to establish prevention programs regarding psychotropic drug use that are adapted to specific populations it is, first of all, important to have data on the realities of such consumption. Single data points are not enough for drawing up a profile of society in relation to drugs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this household survey was to determine the incidence of illegal drug, alcohol, tobacco and psychotropic medication use, and thus the number of persons dependent on drugs, alcohol and nicotine, and to evaluate their perception regarding how easy it is to obtain psychotropic drugs. TYPE OF STUDY: Epidemiological survey. SETTING: All of the 24 cities in the State of Sao Paulo with more 200,000 inhabitants participated in the study. METHOD: The sampling was constructed from weighted probabilistic stratified conglomerates obtained via two-stage selection. In each municipality sampled, census sectors (generally 200-300 households) were first selected. Then, households and a respondent were selected to provide information from his/her point of view. The SAMHSA questionnaire (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) of the U.S. Department of Public Health was used, after translation and adaptation to Brazilian conditions. RESULTS: A total of 2,411 persons aged 12-65 years old were interviewed, of whom 39.9% weremen. Lifetime use of any psychotropic drug other than alcohol and tobacco was 11.6%: much less than in the U.S. (34.8%). The alcohol dependence rate was 6%, similar to findings from other countries. Marijuana was the illegal drug most cited as used daily (6.6%): a prevalence much lower than in the U.S. (32.0%). Inhalant use was next in frequency of use (2.7%): about 10 times less than in the United Kingdom (20%). Cocaine use (2.1%) was about 5 times less than in the U.S. (10.6%). There was no report of heroin use, although there was a surprisingly high perception regarding the ease of obtaining heroin: 38.3% said it was easy to obtain. CONCLUSION: This study supports the implementation of better prevention programs regarding drug abuse in São Paulo state.

Prevalence of alcohol abuse and associated factors in a population-based study

“…20 The 8.4% prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence estimated by the present study (13.1% for men and 4.1% for women) is above the average value of 6% that Galduroz et al 8 (2003) found in a survey performed in 1999. Their study 8 comprised people aged 12 to 65 years living in 24 cities with more than 200,000 inhabit- As for the prevalence of high-risk drinkers, AlmeidaFilho et al 2 (2004) found a prevalence of 2.3% for women and 12.4% for men in Salvador, northeastern Brazil. The higher frequency of alcohol abuse among men found in the present study is entirely consistent with that reported in the literature.…”

Consumo de bebidas alcoólicas na população adulta Brasileira: características sociodemográficas e tendência

“…Despite the different classifications related to consumption, other Brazilian studies conducted with adults showed higher frequencies of alcohol consumption for men than for women, like the state of São Paulo in 1999, with 2,411 people aged from 12 to 65 years 13 12 . The study conducted in Salvador 18 showed that, after adjustments related to gender, age, marital status and social class, being a male and having a high socioeconomic level were factors associated with the high alcohol consumption (at least 8 doses a week, connected with drunkenness).…”

“…Only a few Brazilian population studies with adults about alcohol consumption patterns have been published, which limits the comparison of prevalent consumption patterns with this study, especially regarding the development of indicators. Most [13][14][15] use the test recommended by WHO to identify problems related to alcohol consumption (Alcohol use disorders identification test -AUDIT) that analyzes not only the frequency of consumption and dose, but also the lack of control over consumption, lack of commitment, oblivion, regret, concern by other people and involvement with violence and accidents 16 . This test was validated in many countries, including Brazil 14,17 .…”

Validação da versão brasileira do teste de triagem do envolvimento com álcool, cigarro e outras substâncias (ASSIST)

“…O consumo de substâncias psicoativas é bastante freqüente em nossa sociedade, variando desde o uso ocasional até a dependência [1][2][3][4] . Estudos epidemiológicos têm detectado índices de uso cada vez maiores nos últimos anos, tanto no Brasil 3,4 como em outras regiões do mundo 5,6 .…”