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The epidemiology of illicit and licit drug use in Greece: a nationwide general population survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

MG Madianos ,
D Gefou-Madianou  and
CN Stefanis
MG Madianos
Affiliation:
Community Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, CMHC Byron Kessariani, 14 Delou Str Kessariani, 16121Athens, Greece
D Gefou-Madianou
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Social Policy Patneion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
CN Stefanis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry Medical School University of Athens, Greece
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Summary

A cross-sectional home survey on the epidemiology of drug use in Greece, with a nationwide general population sample of 4,291 respondents aged 12 to 64, was carried out. The weighted life prevalence of reported illicit drug use in the total sample was found to be 9% among males and 2.5% among females, with a ratio of 3.6: 1. Six and a half percent of males of all ages had used, at some time, licit psychotropic drugs without a doctor's order, while females presented much higher prevalence rates (14.9%). Young adults reported higher rates of both illicit and licit lifetime and past-year use, compared to the other age groups. Illicit drug use was less common, in females of all ages. Cannabis was the most common illicit drug used. Current as well as lifetime use of pain relievers without a doctor's prescription was found to be highest among all other licit substances. This holds true for all age groups and for both sexes. Tranquillizers were predominantly used by females of all ages. Certain sociodemographic variables, such as sex, educational level, marital status, place of residence and occupational status were found to be related to drug use in Greece.

Keywords

prevalencepsychotropic drugscannabiscommunity survey
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , 1995 , pp. 175 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1995

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