• Shishir Bhatta, Manish Raj Sapkota, Sujita Shrestha, and Rabindra Man Shrestha.
• Department of Orthodontics, Kantipur Dental College, Basundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc. 2018 Nov 1; 56 (214): 896-899.

IntroductionSubstance abuse has become a burning issue among the medical and dental students. Dental students, who later transform into dentists, have a significant role in substance abuse cessation. Thus the study was undertaken to quantify substance abuse among dental students of Kantipur Dental College.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using pretested self-administered questionnaire among undergraduate and post graduate students of Kantipur Dental College. Convenience sampling was done and sample size was calculated.ResultsStudy revealed 166 (74.10%) as never smokers, 3 (1.30%) as former smokers and 55 (24.60%) as current smokers. Similarly 97 (43.3%) students never used alcoholic drink, 95 (42.41%) consumed alcohol monthly, 29 (12.95%) consumed alcohol 2-4 times a month and 3 (1.34%) consumed alcohol 2-3 times a week. A total of 78 (35%) students used cannabis.ConclusionsSubstantial numbers of students were indulged in deleterious habits of smoking, tobacco and cannabis intake. Students need to be properly counselled to discourage substance abuse and create a healthy society.

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