Prevalence and determinants of substance abuse among street children in Mekelle city, Tigray, Ethiopia: crossectional study

Background: Globally United nations children fund (UNICEF), 2003 Reported that ‘the latest estimate put the numbers of street children as high as 100 million. Preventing drug abuse in street children is big challenge to public health ex-perts. Very few studies have been done on the subject of street children in Tigray. Based on a forum on Street Children study before 10 years back, nearly 18.7% of the children had reported to be addicted to substance in Mekelle city. Objective: To assess the prevalence and determinants of substance abuse among street children in Mekelle city, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study in which quantitative methods was employed. One hundred seventy two street children from eight-eighteen years were participated. First, street was selected based on their peak concentration. Next, before data collection under taken every single street child was identified by street children coordinator to make sure whether they are street children or not. Last, data was gathered by conducting face to face interview with street children by using semi structured questionnaire. Results: from one hundred seventy two street children, 65 of them were substance abuse. Age of the children was the only variable that had significant p<0.05. Among the substance abuser, 59 children were between 15-18 years age. Individual/peer pressure factor were the most frequently reported by 81(47.1%).Substances abused on nearly daily basis by street children in Mekelle accounted 97 Tella drinkers, 60 Chat chewers, 56 Cigarette smoker, and 32 Arrekey drinkers. Conclusion and recommendation Children live on the street are more vulnerable group for substance abuse than those live at night with their relatives at home. Based on the WHO (14) substance abuse criteria, overall substance abuse was reported by 65 (37.7%) were abusers of one or more, form those substance abusers, 49 of them were male, almost three times higher than female which were only 16. Dealing with substance abuse of street children needs the cooperation of various governmental, non-governmental, and voluntary efforts. Accordingly, if intervention is to be carried out, it has to cover all areas simultaneously Community-based intervention, Center-based intervention, Street-based intervention.