NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The Ministry of Health, in
collaboration with other government agencies, is currently dispatching a team
of persons into various communities throughout The Bahamas to conduct a
national household drug survey during the months of February and March
2017.
The purpose of the survey is to determine the
extent of drug use among persons 12 to 65-years-old in the population.
Current patterns have been studied among the
adolescent population through school drug surveys conducted in the past
decade. However, present trends in the
general population are not known.
Other countries in the Caribbean, namely Guyana,
Suriname and Jamaica, have used the same survey methodology.
Bahama Islands included in this survey are: New
Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera and Exuma.
For each island, communities and households will
be selected at random. The process is like placing all of the households in a
hat and choosing one.
Enumerators (or interviewers) with valid
identifications badges will go out into the communities chosen, and seek to
interview one individual randomly selected from each household chosen.
The enumerators will use a standardized
questionnaire and computer software to capture the interviews. Answers to
questions asked in the survey will be absolutely confidential and completely
anonymous. Names of the respondents will
not be recorded in the questionnaire, and nothing in it will allow persons to
be identified.
With these careful measures the organizers are taking,
householders are asked to be completely honest with their answers.
Full cooperation in the survey will support the
government agencies in assisting the general public.
Results will provide current information
necessary for making evidence-based decisions and designing programs to improve
drug prevention, education and treatment services for the general population of
The Bahamas.