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On substance abuse in Kuwait (1992-1997). Evidence from toxicological screening of patients
Z Radovanovic1, C W Pilcher, T al-Nakib
1Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
Purpose:
To assess preference for different psychoactive substances and time trends in Kuwait.
Methods:
Analysis of urine and blood samples of specimens sent by attending physicians to the only public health reference laboratory for toxicological screening in the country.
Results:
A total of 28,548 tests were performed on 3781 samples. Cannabinoids were positive in 40% of the tested samples, opiates in 24%, ethanol in 10%, and amphetamines in 5%. Elevated concentrations of methadone, cocaine, and phencyclidine did not exceed 0.1%. About 40% of samples was positive for benzodiazepines, but their therapeutic use obscures the informativeness of this finding. There was a significant increase in the proportion of positive results for ethanol, amphetamines, and benzodiazepines.
Implications:
It is high time to implement a modern and comprehensive preventive and control program. The tendency to blame the Iraqi invasion for drug addiction has hampered efforts to recognise and address the problem in its entirety.