TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Understanding cannabis use in Singapore: profile of users and drug progression
JO  - Singapore medical journal
A1  - Chia, Doris Xin Yi
A1  - Ng, Charis Wei Ling
A1  - Asharani, Pezhummoottil Vasudevan Nair
A1  - Au Yong, Sabina
A1  - Tan, Jun Wen
A1  - Noor Azizah, Bte Zainuldin
A1  - Chua, Samuel Kee Guan
A1  - Low, Lambert Tchern Kuang
A1  - Cheok, Christopher Cheng Soon
A1  - Kandasami, Gomathinayagam
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Cannabis has consistently been the third most commonly abused drug among drug arrestees in Singapore over the past few years. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand the profile of cannabis users in Singapore and explore the effects of cannabis use on drug progression. <br><br>METHODS: A total of 450 participants who had used cannabis at least once in their lifetime were recruited from the National Addictions Management Service, prisons, the Community Rehabilitation Centre and halfway houses from August 2017 to May 2018. A face-to-face questionnaire was administered and descriptive analyses were conducted. <br><br>RESULTS: The mean participant age was 40.9 ± 14.51 years, and 93.1% of them were male. The participants generally initiated cannabis use during adolescence, at a mean onset age of 16.5 ± 4.46 years. Most (89.6%) were introduced to cannabis by peers. Approximately half of them (46.9%) had used cannabis before other illicit drugs and 42.1% of them had used heroin as the succeeding drug. <br><br>CONCLUSION: In Singapore, cannabis use is often initiated during adolescence, largely under peer influence. Cannabis users may progress to other illicit drugs, particularly heroin, later in life.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0037-5675
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2022071
ID  - ref1
ER  -