Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors related to cannabis abuse among school children in Kohat.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among schoolchildren aged 13-20 years in Kohat City from May 2025 to June 2025. A systematic sampling technique was used in this study with a sample size of 281 children, taken from different public and private schools. Data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire that contained 10 questions with their Urdu translation. Statistical analysis was done through SPSS version 22.
Results: A total of 281 students were given a questionnaire, out of which 270 (96%) filled and back and 11 (4%) did not give a response. All the students were male, and their mean ages were 17±3 years. 155 (56%) students were from the public schools, and the remaining 122 (42%) were from the private schools. Overall, 78% children were aware of cannabis addiction, of which 14 (5.2%) children had used cannabis. Most of the children referred to this abuse as peer pressure (friends) and their society.
Conclusion: The prevalence of cannabis abuse among school children exceeds rates within the country. This has been accompanied by significant changes in the prevalence and strength of associated factors related to cannabis abuse. Furthermore, cannabis abuse among school children is a serious public health problem that requires special attention from the concerned education and health departments to overcome and control this issue.