The rate of knowledge and attitude toward psychoactive drugs and its abuse prevalence in Gonabad University students

Daily increasing usage of psychoactive drugs among youth is one of the significant damages and catastrophic cases of today. Since these substances are new, the people information is not enough about them, and then this study was conducted to determine the knowledge and attitude levels of Gonabad university students toward psychoactive drugs and its abuse prevalence. This descriptive study was done on 350 students of Gonabad universities of Payam-e-noor, Azad and medical sciences in 2008. Research tool was a questionnaire including some questions on student’s knowledge, attitude and usage of psychoactive drugs. The collected data analyzed by SPSS 11.5 by statistical tests such as chi-square, Fisher exact test and Student t- test (p<0.05). The knowledge of 21.7% of the students was weak, 77.1% average, just 1.1% was well and the attitude of 15.4% was weak, 63.1% average, and 21.4% was well. The prevalence of drug abuse was 6% that had a meaningful relationship with attitude and sex, dwelling location, income, father job and other substance abuse. In general, the student knowledge and attitude toward psychoactive drugs is not well. Incorrect attitude well-being life, live in rent houses without enough control over it, are from effective factors for tendency to these substance abuse. It seems that basic programs design is necessary to improve knowledge and attitude of students, parents and educational institutions more control over their children and students