The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has listed friends and lecturers among the main sources of drugs and substances used by university students.
Data released on Thursday showed that friends led the group, with 66.4 per cent, while lecturers only accounted for 39.4 per cent.
Other sources include neighbourhood canteens and bars (59.3 per cent), fellow students (56 per cent), online platforms (39.4 per cent) and institution canteen/ shop (39.4 per cent).
In terms of the substances used, the authority found that alcohol consumption was high, at 87.3 per cent, followed by cigarettes at 64.4 per cent and shisha at 41.2 per cent.
The usage of vape was at 31 per cent, nicotine pouches at 30.7 per cent, kuber at 23 per cent and snuff/ chewed tobacco at 22.1 per cent.
The data further showed that one in every five university students has used alcohol in the past month, and one in every eight has used at least one type of tobacco in the last 30 days.
Additionally, one in every 22 students has used shisha in the past month. This is the case for one in every 17 has used e-cigarettes/ vape, one in every 14 has used cigarettes, and one in every nine has used at least one type of cannabis.
One in every 24 university students used inhalants in the past month while one in every 63 has used cocaine and one in every 59 has used heroin in the same period.
Nacada stated that the data was obtained through a study population comprised of undergraduate students from both public and private universities in the country.
A total of 15,678 respondents were interviewed translating to a response rate of 99.7 percent.
Public universities accounted for 61.5 per cent, while private universities had 38.5 per cent.
The male respondents were higher than the females with 54.2 percent and 45.2 percent respectively.
