Tobacco, Alcohol, and Psychotropic Drugs in Lorraine: Epidemiological Survey of the General Population

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the use of tobacco, alcohol, and psychotropic drugs in Lorraine (France) and to characterize the consumption behaviors of that population. The sample consisted of 6,571 participants aged18 to 74, who were randomly selected from the telephone directory and were interviewed through the use of a self-administered questionnaire sent out by mail. Behaviors vary according to gender. Tobacco is the product with the highest prevalence of consumption. However, this rate decreases with age and is most frequent in sectors of the population who are less educated, hold low or poorly skilled jobs, or are unemployed. Excessive alcohol consumption is observed in 13.8% of men and 3.8% of women. Regular consumption of psychotropic drugs is twice as high in women than in men, and it increases with age. Women who are single, divorced, or widowed are at greatest risk, as are those who are not engaged in any professional activity. The prevalence of the consumption of psycho-active licit toxic substances in this population differs little from the national French average for men but appears to be higher for women. These results are very useful for regional prevention activities such as those offered by the Regional Health Program framework.