Assessment of the Prevalence, Knowledge and Drivers of Illicit Drug Use among Youths Aged 12 - 25 Years in Bamenda Old Town Community

Illicit drug use among young people remains a significant public health concern globally and has increasingly become a social and health challenge in urban communities in Cameroon. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 - 25 years are particularly vulnerable to illicit drug use due to developmental, social, and economic factors. This study aims to assess the prevalence, knowledge and drivers of illicit drug use among young people aged 12 - 25 years in Bamenda Old Town Community, North West Region of Cameroon. A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The study population consisted of young people aged 12 - 25 years residing in Bamenda Old Town Community. A sample size of 200 participants was selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire designed to assess socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of illicit drugs and their dangers, prevalence of illicit drug use, and factors influencing drug consumption among youths. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21 and statistical significance was considered if p value was ≤0.05. Among the 200 respondents, the prevalence of illicit drug use was 38.0% (n = 76), with most users initiating drug use between 16 - 18 years (55.3%) and using substances occasionally (46.1%). Cannabis (61.8%) was the most commonly used illicit drug, followed by tramadol (17.1%) and inhalants (13.2%). Overall, knowledge on the dangers of illicit drug use was high, with 91.0% of respondents aware of illicit drugs and 60.0% demonstrating good knowledge; female respondents were significantly more likely to have adequate knowledge than males (OR = 4.10, p = 0.030), while respondents aged 16 - 20 years (OR = 3.50, p = 0.030) and 21 - 25 years (OR = 4.13, p = 0.029), as well as those with secondary (OR = 4.31, p = 0.019) and tertiary education (OR = 63.38, p = 0.006), showed significantly higher odds of adequate knowledge. Peer pressure emerged as the leading factor promoting illicit drug use (46.0%) and was a strong independent predictor (OR = 3.70, p = 0.004), while stress and trauma also significantly increased the likelihood of drug use (OR = 2.41, p = 0.036). Respondents acknowledging peer influence were 4.4 times more likely to engage in illicit drug use (OR = 4.40, p = 0.001), whereas parental supervision demonstrated a significant protective effect, reducing the odds of drug use by 70% (OR = 0.30, p = 0.005). Significant associations were observed between illicit drug use and gender (χ² = 3.89, p = 0.049) as well as age group (χ² = 6.15, p = 0.046), with males being nearly twice as likely to use illicit drugs compared to females (OR = 1.90, p = 0.034) and respondents aged 16 - 20 years showing higher odds of drug use (OR = 2.63, p = 0.022). Illicit drug use was moderately prevalent and driven mainly by peer influence, with significant associations with male gender and age 16 - 20 years, despite generally good knowledge and a protective effect of parental supervision.