Indian J. Psychiat. (1984), 26(2), 128--132
ALCOHAL AND DRUG ABUSE AMONG INTERNEES
R. PONNUDURAI,1
M.N.A.M.S. (Psych.), D. P. M.
O. SOM<\.SUNDARAM, M. R. G. Psych. (Loud.), D. P. M.
T. P. INDIRA," M . B . B . S .
P. GUNASEKAR,M.B.B.S.
SUMMARY
The study was designed to assess the various factors pertaining to alcohol and drug abuse among
internees with the help of the youth survey questionnaire developed by the WHO. 22.67% of the males
indulged in .ilcohcl abuse atleast once a month. Correspondingly cannabis was abused by 9.33% of the
boys which is the most conmanly abased drug of addiction, followed by sedatives and tranquilizers.
Tne comijnest explanitio is offered for the non medical drug abuse were, to be sociable, for enjoy-
ment, curiosity andrelief of psychological stress. Friends have been the main source of introduction. Most
of them reported that it was easy to obtiin the drugslike marijutna and amphetamines.
Though India has traditionally
been described as an abstinent culture,
in the recent past we find that it is by
no means so. On the contrary, the ex-
cessive abusers pose difficult problems
for themselves, for quite a number of
families, for industrial and other estab-
lishments and the society. The increa-
sing magnitude of this problem in our
society has led the public and scientific
attention to be focussed on it, though
it can not be equated to the studies
conducted in the West. The present
study was aimed at to assess the preva-
lence, frequency and allied factors
pertaining to alcohol and drug abuse
among a batch of interness attached to
a teaching hospital in the city of Mad-
ras. Also, it was directed towards asse-
ssment of the operational aspect of the
"Youth survey questionnaire".
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A batch of interness (Feb. 1982
batch) numbering 116, working in the
Madras Medical College and Govt.
General Hospital, Madras were selected
for the study. The youth survey ques-
I. Asst. Professor of Psychiatry, Madras Medical College and Asst. Surgeon, Govt. General Hospital,
Madr..s-3.
I. Professor and Head, Dept. of Psychiatry, Govt. General Hospital, Madras.
3 & 4. Internees, Madras Medical College, Madras.
tionnaire developed by the W. H. O.
in co-operation with the United Nations
fund for drug abuse control (Smart
el al., 1980) was used for his purpose.
The questions elicit informations on, a
few demographic characteristics, age of
first intake, frequency of drug abuse,
reasons for non medical drug use, source
of introduction and allied informations
pertaining to 13 types of drugs including
alcohol and tobacco.
Each internee was supplied with a
printed questionnaire by two of their
colleagues who were also included in
the study team. They were specifically
instructed to desist from writing their
names in order to ensure strict anony-
mity and confidentiality. The questio-
nnaires were collected either on the spot
or a little later by the same team for
transmission to the file maintained for
the purpose. The study was conducted
from September to November 1982.
The subjective responses thus obtained
from 116 internees were analysed.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Out of the 116 (M--75, F--41),
ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AMONG INTERNEES 129
58(73.33%) males have tasted alcohol
atleast once and it is equally so for
tobacco (72.00%). O n the other hand
21.95% of the females have resorted to
liquor atleast once and 14.63% for
tobacco. Further our findings point out
that 20 (26.67%) boys had resorted to
cannabis at some time or the other
whereas 28 (37.33%) boys h a d taken
tranquilizers and sedatives. So did one
girl with cannabis a n d 4(9.76%) girls
with tranquilizers a n d sedatives (Table
I). However 13.33% of the m e n and
TABLE I Drugs used atleast once
TABLE I I Non-abusers
Male
N = 75
Female
N=41
Drugs
Tobacco
Alcohol
Cannabis
Cocaine
Amphetamine
Hallucinogen
N = 7 5
Male
54 (72.00)
58 (77.33)
20 (26.67)
1 (1 .33)
8 (10.67)
9 (12.00)
N=41
Female
6 (14.63)
9 (21.95)
1 (2.44)
1 (2.44)
Glue, Aerosol spray Gases 2(2.67)
Tranquilizers 16(21.33) 1(2.44)
Sedatives 12 (16.00) 3 (7.32)
Opium 3 (4.00)
Heroin 2(2.67)
Other opiates (Methadone, 2(2.67)
Morphine etc.)
Figures in parenthesis indicate percentage.
73.17% of the ladies had taken neither
alcohol nor any of the drugs even once
(Table I I ) . T h e first indulgence in
vast majority of them had been a t
or above the age of 19 Yrs. Tobacco-
28 (46.66%), Alcohol-45 (60.16%),
Cannabis-18 (85.71%), Sedatives--12
(80%).
Two boys (3.45%) had reported
that they had been taking alcohol on
Never abused any of the 16 (21.33) 32 (78.05)
drugs
Neither abused alcohol nor
anyofthedrugs 10(13.33) 30(73.17)
Figures in Parenthesis indicate percentage.
more than 2o days during the month
prior to the study a n d so was one boy
(5%) on cannabis. It is possible that
this group could turn out to be addicts.
Alcoholic consumption for 6-19 days was
resorted to by 5 (8.62%) boys a n d
also by one (11.11 %) girl. So was with
2 (10%) boys on cannabis. For the
consumption of alcohol for 1-5 days
during the month prior to the study
was seen in 10 (17.24%) males a n d 2
(22.22%) girls. Likewise cannabis was
chosen by 4 (20%) males and sedatives
and tranquilizers by 5.
Other drugs taken by the boys on
not more than a few days are hallucino-
gens, glue/gases, heroin, opivm a n d its
derivatives.
Sethi a n d Manchanda (1977) have
adopted the criteria for abuse as indul-
gence with a frequency of atleast once a
month without medical prescription.
When this criteria was applied on the
whole 17 (22.67%) boys could be
labelled as alcohol abusers. Corres-
pondingly cannabis was abused b y 7
(9.33%) boys which is the most abused
among the drugs a n d the next most
abused drugs were sedatives a n d t r a n -
quilizers. I n a survey conducted by
Dube a n d Handa (1971) in and around
Agra, 2 % of the population studied
was found to have problems of drug
abuse a n d o u t of them 6 0 % abused al-
cohol.
When a n attempt was made to
130 R.PONNUDURAI etd.
compare the parental status of the
monthly abusers of alcohol and drugs
and others the authors could not draw
any significant conclusion (Table III).
TABLE III Comparison of monthly abusers
with others in relation to their
parental education
Drugs Alcohol
Monthly Others Monthly Others
Abusers Abusers
(N=35) (N=81) (N=20) (N=-96)
Father
No formal schooling 1
Primary 1
Secondary or
Hig^i School 6
University or other
postgraduate 26
Not known 1
70
1
15
1
81
1
X  - 6 . 2 8 , N . S . X=8.63,N.S.
Mother
No formal schooling
Primary
Secondary or High
School
University or other
post-graduation
Not Known
1
2
18
13
1
-- 1
7 --
38
35
1
10
1
48
38
1
X"=4.11,N. S. X ' - 9 . 1 8 , N . S.
The commonest explanations for
the non medical drug use, offered by the
males were enjoyment (25.33%)., to be
sociable (20%), and curiosity (18.67%).
To be sociable, enjoyment, curiosity and
relief of psychological stress were some
of the explanaions offered by the girls.
Curiosity was also the usual offered
reasons according to Varma et al. (1977)
(Table IV).
TABLE IV Reasons for nonmedical drug
use
Reasons
Rel igious Custom
To be accepted by others
To be sociable
Enjoyment
Enhancement of Sex
Curiosity
Treatment of Health
Disorder
Relief of p
sycholigica!
Stress
Relief of Cold Hunger or
Fatigue
Not Known
Male
(N=75)
--
--
15 (20.00)
19 (25.33)
1 ( 1.33)
14 (18.67)
( 1.33)
3 ( 4.00)
1 ( 1.33)
29 (38.67)
Female
(N=41)
--
--
2 (4 .88)
1 ( 2.44)
--
1 ( 2.44)
'--
1 (2 .44)
* --
36 (S7.-0O5
Figures in Parenthesis indicate percentage.
Most of the boys and girls had
expressed that they would have con-
fessed if they had abused drugs (M--
85.33%, F--36.59%) (Table VI).
Drug
Marijuana
Amphetamines and other stimulants
Probably impossible
M F
TABLE VII. Perceived
Very difficult
M F
2(2.66) 3(7.32) 4(5.33) 6(14.63)
4(5.33) 3(7.32) 2(2.66) 6(14.63)
Figures in Parenthesis indicate percentage.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AMONG INTERNEES 131
Though marijuana use has been disap-
proved by most of the girls and boys,
quite a number of boys do not disapp-
rove of the occasional use of marijuana
(18.67%).
It has been revealed by most of
the males that it is rather easy to get
the drugs like marijuana and amphe-
tamine (Table VII). Personality of
the drug abusers is equally ambitious
and antisocial (Table VIII). And
friends have been the main source of
introduction both for the males (56%)
and females (7.32%) (Table V).
TABLE V Source of introduction
Sources Male
(N=75)
Female
(N=41)
TABLE VI Confession if they had used
(cannabis, opium or heroin)
(Cannabis, opium or Heroin)
Confession Male
(N= 75)
Female
(N=41)
No
Not sure
Yes
Not known
7 ( 9.33)
4( 5.33)
64 (85.33)
--
6 (14.63)
1 ( 2.44)
15 (36.59)
19 (46.34)
Figures in parenthesis indicate percentage.
Family
Casual Acquantance
Friends
Drug Pusher
Doctor
Other Health Workers
Pharmacist or
Others
Not known
Druggist
---
2 ( 2.67)
42 (56.00)
1 ( 1.33)
1 ( 1.33)
--
--
1 ( 1.33)
28 (37.33)
1 (2.44)
--
3 (7.32)
--
--
_
_
--
37 (90.24)
Figures in p ire ithes is indicate percentage.
The results of the data generated,
indicate the overwhelming usefulness of
this W. H. O. questionnaire, though
incorporation of the local commercial
names of the drugs and a few more
details like the frequency of tobacco
intake, motivating factors for the current
usage etc., may yield additional infor-
mation. Further, to assess the availa-
bility, apart from Marijuana, ampheta-
mine a d other stimulants, other drugs
of addition could also lave been inclu-
ded. In addition incorporation of the
operational definitions for the Persona-
lity types of the drug abusers would
enlighten the respondents.
availability of the drug
Fairly difficult Fairly easy
M F M F
5(6.66) 2(4.88) 27(36.00) 3(7.32)
Very easy
M
12(16.00)
F
1(2.44)
Not known
M
25(33.30)
F
26(63.41)
6(8.00) 3(7.32) 25(33.33) -- 16(21.33) 2(4.88) 22(29.26) 27(65.88)
132 R.PONNUDURAI etal.
TABLE VIII Opinion about personality of
drug users
Ambitious Antisocial
a) Much less thin average 14(12.07) 11 ( 9.48)
b) Less than average 11(9,48) 8( 8.90)
c) About average 18(15.52) 15(12.93)
d) More than average 15(12.93) 14(12.07)
e) Much more than
average 1 ( 0.86) 9 ( 7.76)
Figures in parent'iesis indicate percentage.
CONCLUSION
About one fourth of the males had
been on liquor more than once a
month. Cannabis is the choicest of all
the drugs for our drug abusing inter-
nees, followed by sedatives and tran-
quilizers. In view of the easy availabi-
lity of the drugs like marijuana and
amphetamine eliminating the source of
supply will be one of the fruitful
methods to prevent the growing menace
of alcohol and drug abuse.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors record their sincere
thanks for the financial assistance ren-
dered by the Tamil Nadu State Re-
search Committee. The statistical assis-
tance rendered by Mr. Srinivasan, Sta-
tistician, Govt. General Hospital,
Madras, is also gratefully acknowledged.
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