Drug use and dependence among young men in Punjab, India

Abstract

Drug use and dependence among young people is one of the major problems in the world and is still under recognized in the developing countries. The magnitude of the problem is rising in India, especially Punjab, where the menace of drug abuse is debilitating the physical and mental welfare of the young people. So this study is an attempt to understand the reasons for drug use at an early age. Various theoretical perspectives were employed to understand the perceptions and attitudes of young people. The main findings of the present study were that drug use and dependence are associated with various factors. The adolescence behavior, peer group influence, family influence and the social and cultural contextual factors associated with the drug use of drug dependent participants. The adolescence behavior comprised of experimentation, boredom, curiosity, impulsiveness and depression. The peer group influence had peer pressure, availability of drugs and experimentation. The male gender preference, affluence and parenting style and expectations were the influence of the family. The social and cultural contextual factors that are associated with drug use were urbanization, availability of drugs and societal expectations. The age of initiation among them was early between 16 and 23 years, with poverty of knowledge of the harmful effects associated with drug use, at the initial stages of the drug use..