Pattern and trends of substance use at a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry

Background: Substance use disorders are a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Since there is a paucity of data on trends and patterns of substance use in Southern India and their locoregional variations across India, we have attempted this study to explore the same. Methods: A retrospective chart-based study was done, of all the outpatients and inpatients who had availed services at a tertiary care hospital in Southern India, for a 5-year period from November 2013 to October 2018. The age, gender, diagnosis, prevalence, and trends of different substance use in our study population were recorded and examined. Results: Both outpatients and inpatients had alcohol as the most common substance of dependence. Among outpatients, all substances studied showed an increasing trend of use in contrary to the specific increase in cannabis dependence among inpatients. Only 0.2% of the population studied was female. Conclusion: Since there are differences in trends and patterns of substance use in northern and southern parts of India, there is a need for studies focusing on the psychosocial, cultural, and legal reasons that could explain the same. Future studies are required to focus on community prevalence and use among females of various substances.