| Abstrakt: |
In 1992, 250 professional sports people (72 per cent males, mean age 25 years), mostly among those invited for screening for the Olympics, completed a questionnaire, aimed at highlighting the prevalence of use of anabolic steroids and other psychoactive substances, and the factors associated with the use of drugs. The prevalence of life-time use of drugs was as follows: 1.2 per cent for anabolic steroids, 0.8 per cent for amphetamines, 0.4 per cent for cocaine, 0.8 per cent for cannabis and 5-6 per cent for codeine. On the four-item CAGE for screening for alcoholism, 3.6 per cent scored 1, while 1.2 per cent scored 2 and above. Those on steroids denied regular use of the drug, while one of them admitted having experienced DSM-IIIR symptoms of dependence while on steroids. Compared with estimated rates in general population samples in Nigeria, drug-use rate among our cohort is mostly lower, but not significantly different from what obtains in general society. Our cohort seemed largely ignorant of the deleterious effects of the use of anabolic steroids, they are liable to peer group pressure to use drugs, and seemed exposed to the temptation of being asked to be drug couriers. A programme of drug education for sports people is needed to address these issues, and keep the prevalence of drug-use low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
