Etat Des Lieux De Consommation Des Substances Psychoactives Dans La Commune Urbaine De Toliara

Introduction: The consumption of psychoactive substances is very widespread in the world, and remains a major public health problem. The objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological profile of users of psychoactive substances in the urban municipality of Toliara I, as well as their risk factors. Method: This is a prospective descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study, carried out in the urban commune of Toliara I, former provincial capital of Madagascar, using a cluster survey. Scales were used to assess dependence: the Fagerstrom scale, the Audit scale and the Cast scale. Results: Of the 210 surveyed, 89.0% had consumed psychoactive substances with male predominance and a sex ratio of 0.27. The average age was 27.6 years, 42.35% of consumers were in the age group of 25 to 35 years. The age of initiation varied between 15 to 20 years in 48.57% of cases; 29% of users were heavily dependent on tobacco, 18% were heavily dependent on alcohol, 10% of cannabis users presented problematic use. Male gender is significantly associated with tobacco and cannabis use (p=0.000). Having a consumer family member (p=0.008), early onset age (p=0.000) contributed to psychoactive substance use. Conclusion: This study has found that drug addiction is the prerogative of young subjects. In order to mitigate the evolution of this scourge, appropriate preventive measures should be put in place in different levels of structures.