The Prevalence of Alcohol and Tobacco Use Among Adolescents aYoung Adults in Bengaluru, India

Background: Substance use can affect scholastic performance. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use and associated outcomes of their use among adolescents and young adults. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in Bengaluru, India, over the period of September 2017 to September 2021. The study participants included students enrolled in pre-university courses, undergraduate colleges, and higher secondary classes (11th and 12th grades). Upon obtaining consent/assent, the study participants completed a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire covering basic demographics and history of alcohol and tobacco use and their associated characteristics. Data were summarized using frequencies, medians (IQR), and proportions with 95% CI; sex-wise differences were assessed using Chi-square test and odds ratios, with a significance level set at P<0.05. Results: A total number of 4093 students participated in the study including 54.41% (n=2227) male and 45.59% (n=1866) female students. Lifetime alcohol use was reported by 33.33% (95% CI: 31.88–34.79; n=1364) and tobacco use by 17.84% (95% CI: 16.67–19.04; n=730) of the study participants. Curiosity was the most commonly reported reason for initiating alcohol (55.2%) and tobacco use (48.8%). Among alcohol consumers, 12.4% reported having sought help to quit, with no significant sex-wise difference (OR 1.234; 95% CI 0.886–1.719; P=0.213). In contrast, 34.2% of tobacco users reported having sought help to quit, which was significantly more common in men than women (OR 1.483; 95% CI 1.080–2.037; P=0.015). Conclusions: Alcohol and tobacco use appeared more common in Indian adolescents in our study compared with previously reported rates in the country’s general population. Therefore, appropriate interventions should be planned in early school/college days by the concerned authorities.