Factors affecting the consumption of psychotropic drugs.

This paper presents some results from a survey conducted in West London in 1977. The 2-week prevalence of psychotropic drug consumption was found to be 10.9% and almost identical figure to that obtained in an earlier survey conducted 8 years previously. The reasons for the absence of the expected rise in prevalence of consumption are discussed. Consumption was found to be strongly associated with various measures of health, and there was a marked sex difference in drug consumption (females greater than males) which was independent of health.