Awareness, Perceptions, and Use of Intoxicant Products Among University Students in Quetta, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Consumption of intoxicant products like sheesha, vapes, pods, e-cigarettes as well as nicotine delivery systems (NDS) has been growing rapidly amongst university students. The products tend to be viewed as less harmful than ordinary tobacco even with increasing data on their negative health, psychological and social impacts. In Pakistan, most specifically in Balochistan, there are scanty empirical evidence on the level of awareness of these products, patterns of their use, and the perceptions of the students towards these products. Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of awareness, use patterns, social factors, perceived health impacts, and preventive attitudes of intoxicant products in university students in Quetta, Balochistan.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was performed in a descriptive manner on a population of 303 university students in a mixed cross-sectional study involving both the public and the private universities in Quetta. A structured, self-administered questionnaire of socio-demographic variables, awareness and perception of intoxicant products, usage behaviors, family and peer influences, health effects, quitting attempts, and prevention measures was used to gather data. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and the results were given as frequencies and percentages.

Results:

Most of the participants were male (73.3%), unmarried (87.5%), and urban residents (72.3%). General knowledge of intoxicant products was also strong (87.5%), and participants identified sheesha, vapes, pods and e-cigarettes as intoxicants (85.8%); but the awareness of NDS was less (49.2%). The main reason behind initiation to use (59.7%), was academic stress, with a majority of students indicating that they used it on occasion (59.7%), especially when stressed or anxious (52.5). Fifth (21.1) of them reported having experienced health problems, and 40.9% had tried to quit. Family secrecy was prevalent, and a significant percentage of them were found to have indulged in risky activities, such as driving under the influence. Over 50 percent were in favor of the establishment of awareness programs and family participation and prevention programs in curricula.

Conclusion:

Despite the high awareness of intoxicant products among the students of the university in Quetta, there are still gaps in the knowledge about health risks. Stress-related consumption, social stigmatization, inability to quit, reveal the necessity of a holistic program of awareness on the university level, mental health services, family involvement, and more stringent regulations to decrease consumption of intoxicant products among the youth.