Pattern of substance abuse among secondary school students in Trinidad and Tobago

A questionnaire survey of 1,603 secondary school students, aged 14-18 years, was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago in 1988. Prevalence of alcohol use was 84%, tobacco 35%, marijuana 8% and cocaine 2%. Alcohol was the substance most consistently used and students' first exposure to drinking alcohol was with family members. Transitions from primary to secondary schools and from junior to senior schools were associated with increased reporting of alcohol use. Significantly more Indo-Trinidadian than Afro-Trinidadian students reported using alcohol frequently. Conversely more Afro-Trinidadian students than Indo-Trinidadians reported using marijuana. The use of alcohol by students was positively correlated to its use by fathers and negatively with religious activities. The use of drugs among students appears to be a growing problem. There is a need for the implementation of culturally relevant educational prevention programmes in schools.