Perceptions of drug use within a UK Bengali community

AIM: The study set out to explore the perceptions and knowledge of drug use of the Bangladeshi origin population in Leicester through local Mosques and community and resource centers for recruiting subjects. SETTING AND DESIGN: A triangulated methodology was used for this research. A review of all available literature was carried out to establish if there was evidence of a drug problem among the Bangladeshis in the UK along with questionnaires and interviews. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A triangulated methodology was used for this research. A review of all available literature was carried out along with questionnaires as well as semi-structured interviews using self-designed questionnaires. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Only 66 questionnaires (16.5%) were returned (46 males and 20 females). These and qualitative exploratory interviews with a small number of community leaders confirmed that drug-related problems exist among the Bangladeshi community, especially in the younger age group and are recognized as such but help seeking is often problematic. An understanding of the perceptions of the Bangladeshi population is useful in developing culturally appropriate services for this group.