Psychoactive drug use among practicing physicians and medical students (1986)

FRANÇAIS :
Etude statistique sur la fréquence et les types de consommation de drogues par les professionnels de la santé, afin de voir s'il y a une consommation supérieure à la moyenne. Pas de conclusion alarmante dans l'immédiat. La consommation récréative avouée par plus de 50 % de personnes de moins de 40 ans semble plus inquiétante. Il faut donc un effort accru de prévention pour cette génération à risque notamment pour la marijuana et la cocaïne avec accent sur le processus psychologique menant de la consommation à l'abus. [Résumé Toxibase]
ENGLISH:
We surveyed random samples of 500 practicing physicians and 504 medical students in a New England state during 1984-1985; 70 percent of the physicians and 79 percent of the students responded. Fifty-nine percent of the physicians and 78 percent of the students reported that they had used psychoactive drugs at some time in their lives. In both groups, recreational use most often involved marijuana and cocaine, and self-treatment most often involved tranquilizers and opiates. In the previous year, 25 percent of the physicians had treated themselves with a psychoactive drug, and 10 percent had used one recreationally. Although most of the use was experimental or infrequent, 10 percent of the physicians reported current regular drug use (once a month or more often) and 3 percent had histories of drug dependence. More physicians and medical students had used psychoactive drugs at some time than had comparable samples of pharmacists and pharmacy students. The results suggest a need for renewed professional education about the risks of drug misuse.