Context, affecting Factors and substance abuse situation among vocational students in high risk Provinces.

Abstract

Introduction: Substance abuse is a serious problem in Thailand. The government has to spend a large amount of budget to fix this problem. Such problems affect the stability of society because drug use will affect the goal of development in terms of physical, emotional, social and intellectual achievement of students. Vocational students are important adolescents; they all are in a period of adaptation to the environment, society and  in the stage of recognizing new things.

        Objective: This study aimed to examine factors affecting and behavioral drug abuse among vocational school students, which the benefit from this study will have in planning and prevention measurement for integrated solving drug abuse of provincial level.

        Methods: We study among vocational education students. It is descriptive and quantitative-crossectional study and collect data by using self answers questionnaires. Five provinces were selected; NakhonSawan in the North, NakhonPathom and
PraNakhon Sri Ayuthaya in central region, UbonRatchathanee and NakhonSrithammarat in the North-East and the South region respectively. In each province selected one urban and two rural districts . The total number of school was 28 sites. Data collection was between December 2013 and February 2014. There were 2,274 cases 
        Results: Students had experience at least one type of drug use was 23.2%. Male students had 31.5%, which was 3-times higher than females. Prevalence of substance use in each province was different between 15.3%-29.2%. It was found that gender, living conditions, learning ability, locations of schools and provinces, affected the use of drugs statistical significantly (p<0.01). The most commonly used drugs were marijuana, Yaba, kratom, and ice, respectively (16.1%-5.4%). Male students had higher rates than female students in every substance, except tranquilizer. During the previous year, Students had drug use decreased was 13.8%. Student had circumstances related to drugs 7.4 %. Especially in group of  drug use.

        Summary and discussion: There were similarities and differences in age, socioeconomic and environment context, the chance to gain access to knowledge and life skills of the students in both groups. This could affect an access to drugs at a higher rate than youth in the society. Types of drugs that were prevalent in the area were still a substance readily available locally. The dissemination and the severity of the problems were different in terms of area and target groups. Therefore, it should be the strategies and action plans to tackle the problems properly. For instance, activities that have impact on the suppression of the unreachable substance abuse and on definite drug quitting. Administrators and teachers should give priority to knowledge activities regularly and seriously for effective prevention.