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Original Article
Online Published: 28 May 2025
 


Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study

Khalid Abdullah Alshahrani, Mazen Mohammed Alnujaymi, Mohammed Abdullah Alalyani, Mohammed Abdullah Alharthi, Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshehri, Mohammed Ali Alshamrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alqarni, Naif Ayed Alharthi, Omar Betty Alshahrani, Abdullah Hassan Alhalafi, Hany M. A. Sonpol, Adel Mohamed Aboregela, Mohammed Saied Alamri.


Abstract
Objective: The current study aimed to determine drug abuse awareness and perception among youths.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted adopting multi-cluster randomized sampling. A standardized self-administered online questionnaire starting with formal consent was used. The answers were collected, scored, and analyzed.
Results: Age and gender were represented nearly equally in the 663 response samples, with a dominance of Saudis and university students. A total awareness level of 67.72% was elaborated, with the highest percentage for the social impacts (86.43%). Bad friends were assigned as the most well-known risk factor by consensus (96.2%). In addition, poor concentration was ranked the first psychological problem (79.6%), and crime was the most common social complication (90.20%). Of the preventive measures, religious commitment got the highest level of awareness (87.6%). About 76% of participants declared the high susceptibility of males to addiction. Amphetamines recorded the highest degree of perception (61.1%) and then Cannabis (57.5%). In addition, the Ministry of Health was assigned as the responsible sector for counteracting illicit drug use (86.7%). Social media was selected by 73% as the main source of information.
Conclusion: Adolescents had a good awareness level, except for the risk factors and physical complications. The negative relationship between awareness, age, and educational level was clear. Adolescents’ perception of the responsible sectors was limited.

Key words: Addiction, orientation campaigns, youth, illicit drugs, Saudi Arabia


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Alshahrani KA, Alnujaymi MM, Alalyani MA, Alharthi MA, Alshehri MA, Alshamrani MA, Alqarni MA, Alharthi NA, Alshahrani OB, Alhalafi AH, Sonpol HMA, Aboregela AM, Alamri MS. Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. IJMDC. 2025; 9(5): 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066

Web Style

Alshahrani KA, Alnujaymi MM, Alalyani MA, Alharthi MA, Alshehri MA, Alshamrani MA, Alqarni MA, Alharthi NA, Alshahrani OB, Alhalafi AH, Sonpol HMA, Aboregela AM, Alamri MS. Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=252663 [Access: October 14, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Alshahrani KA, Alnujaymi MM, Alalyani MA, Alharthi MA, Alshehri MA, Alshamrani MA, Alqarni MA, Alharthi NA, Alshahrani OB, Alhalafi AH, Sonpol HMA, Aboregela AM, Alamri MS. Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. IJMDC. 2025; 9(5): 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Alshahrani KA, Alnujaymi MM, Alalyani MA, Alharthi MA, Alshehri MA, Alshamrani MA, Alqarni MA, Alharthi NA, Alshahrani OB, Alhalafi AH, Sonpol HMA, Aboregela AM, Alamri MS. Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. IJMDC. (2025), [cited October 14, 2025]; 9(5): 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


Harvard Style

Alshahrani, K. A., Alnujaymi, . M. M., Alalyani, . M. A., Alharthi, . M. A., Alshehri, . M. A., Alshamrani, . M. A., Alqarni, . M. A., Alharthi, . N. A., Alshahrani, . O. B., Alhalafi, . A. H., Sonpol, . H. M. A., Aboregela, . A. M. & Alamri, . M. S. (2025) Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. IJMDC, 9 (5), 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


Turabian Style

Alshahrani, Khalid Abdullah, Mazen Mohammed Alnujaymi, Mohammed Abdullah Alalyani, Mohammed Abdullah Alharthi, Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshehri, Mohammed Ali Alshamrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alqarni, Naif Ayed Alharthi, Omar Betty Alshahrani, Abdullah Hassan Alhalafi, Hany M. A. Sonpol, Adel Mohamed Aboregela, and Mohammed Saied Alamri. 2025. Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (5), 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


Chicago Style

Alshahrani, Khalid Abdullah, Mazen Mohammed Alnujaymi, Mohammed Abdullah Alalyani, Mohammed Abdullah Alharthi, Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshehri, Mohammed Ali Alshamrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alqarni, Naif Ayed Alharthi, Omar Betty Alshahrani, Abdullah Hassan Alhalafi, Hany M. A. Sonpol, Adel Mohamed Aboregela, and Mohammed Saied Alamri. "Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9 (2025), 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Alshahrani, Khalid Abdullah, Mazen Mohammed Alnujaymi, Mohammed Abdullah Alalyani, Mohammed Abdullah Alharthi, Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshehri, Mohammed Ali Alshamrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alqarni, Naif Ayed Alharthi, Omar Betty Alshahrani, Abdullah Hassan Alhalafi, Hany M. A. Sonpol, Adel Mohamed Aboregela, and Mohammed Saied Alamri. "Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9.5 (2025), 1154-1161. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Alshahrani, K. A., Alnujaymi, . M. M., Alalyani, . M. A., Alharthi, . M. A., Alshehri, . M. A., Alshamrani, . M. A., Alqarni, . M. A., Alharthi, . N. A., Alshahrani, . O. B., Alhalafi, . A. H., Sonpol, . H. M. A., Aboregela, . A. M. & Alamri, . M. S. (2025) Experiences of drug abuse among adolescents: a community-based crosssectional study. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (5), 1154-1161. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1744655066




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