Tobacco consumption and its association with illicit drug use among men in Bangladesh

Aims This study examined the association of tobacco consumption ( smoking and chewing) with illicit drug use among Bangladesh males. Design Cross-sectional survey data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004 were used. Setting Bangladesh. Participants A total of 4297 males aged 15 - 54 years. Measurements Age, education, religion, marital status, place of residence; tobacco consumption such as cigarette and bidi smoking, chewing sada, pata, tobacco leaves, gul, betel quid with zarda; taking illicit drugs such as ganja, charas, heroin, pethedine, phensidyl; having sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Findings Overall prevalence of tobacco consumption was 59%. Bidi smoking (29.6%), cigarette smoking (27.8%) and chewing betel quid with tobacco/zarda (17.5%) were predominant. Overall prevalence of illicit drug use was 4%. Ganja was the main drug (3%), followed by phensidyl (0.8%), heroin (0.3%) and charas ( 0.3%). Age, education, place of residence, marital status, having STDs, premarital and extra-marital sex were associated significantly with tobacco smoking. Almost all variables were also associated significantly with illicit drug use. Smoking cigarettes and bidi and eating tobacco leaves/shada pata/gul showed significantly positive associations with illicit drug use when adjusted for other variables. Conclusions Tobacco consumption is common and associated positively with the illicit drug use among males in Bangladesh.