Prevalence of substance misuse among students in a higher institution in the London, UK

Background: Although substance misuse pattern is of growing worldwide concern, European countries have not been left out as they are uniquely going through a dynamic phase of drug misuse pattern. It is perhaps appalling, that little or no attention has been given to university students in aspects of drug policy and adoption of potential interventions necessary to curb this act. Consequently, this study aims to study the prevalence of substance misuse among students at a post-92 university in London. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design using a convenience sampling technique was used. A sample of 150 students were required for the study. The recruitment process involved using a selfadministered questionnaire which was disseminated via email, classrooms and in the library. Results: The findings showed that majority of respondents were young people within the age group of 18-24 years and a higher proportion of respondents were female students. This study reveals the prevalence of substance use among students being 36 (24%), of the sample respondents who have taken drugs for non-medical purposes at least once. Cannabis and Cocaine remained the most commonly abused drugs in the university which is consistent with national evidence in the (United Kingdom) UK. Conclusion: It is therefore recommended that public health interventions targeted towards preventing substance misuse trends among students should be designed to raise awareness on its harmful implications thereby reducing its prevalence in younger generations.