A Social Ecological Analysis of Substance Use Trajectories Among University Students in South Africa

Bontle Mapotsi, Tronic Sithole, Pranitha Maharaj, School of Social Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, School of Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, South Africa

Journal of Drug Issues

Published online on July 08, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Drug Issues, Ahead of Print.
Substance use among South African university students unfolds within persistent socio-economic inequality and substance-related harm. Drawing on 40 qualitative interviews with current and former students in Durban, this study examines how substance use is ...