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Anti Drug Abuse Day
Drug Dependence Behaviour Among Youth

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

DRUG dependence is not a crime but a disease. A drug-using behaviour may meet the criteria for dependence but may not cause a significant medical or social problem. More commonly, compulsive use of drugs is detrimental both to the user and to the society. Dependency is a biochemical or genetic disorder that is activated by the individual’s environment.

His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, Ministry of Home Affairs Narcotic Drug Control Division (2000) introduces Narcotic Bulletin. In the Bulletin, it is stressed that drug abuse in Nepal started in mid 60s. This period was the peak time of Hippies in the world, especially in western societies and Nepal was newly opened for outsiders. Many Hippies invaded Nepal very shortly because of the availability of quality drugs in the country without any intervention by the administration. It helped to spread the use of drugs in wide range in the country.

Drug dependence seems to be more prevalent in youth’s circle. In Nepal older as well as younger generations use drugs to lessen their anxiety and strain. There is no age discrimination. Today, it has become a worldwide problem. No specific psychological or physical profile will identify the drug users. Experimentation with drugs persists the habit of drug dependency.

Drug use by youth has become of great concern to the society. It raises various problems, they are: developmental risks, toxic effects, impairment of motor functions, the potential for physical or psychological dependence, the long-term psychological and emotional effects of addiction and behavioural difficulties.

Non-medical use involves the experimental use of a drug on one or a few occasions, because of curiosity about its impact on the human organism, or to comply with the expectations of a peer group. It may involve the casual or recreational use of small amounts of a drug for its pleasurable effects, or use in a certain circumstances, such as stimulants to alleviate fatigue. These various forms of non-medical use may then lead to serious drug abuse resulting in dependence or compulsive drug use.

One of the hazards of compulsive drug use is that it may foster drug dependence. Users continue to take drugs, often despite adverse social and medical consequences, and they behave as if the effects of the drugs are needed for continued well-being. The magnitude of this need or dependence can vary from a mild desire to a craving or compulsion to use the drug. When the availability of the drug is uncertain, they may exhibit a preoccupation with locating sources for the contraband.

Mental health researchers stress the diversified effects of drug abuse i.e. psychological and physical damage, strained interpersonal relationships, promotion of crime, increased health costs, usurpring of youth promotion of anti-social behaviour, loss of work and promotes disease.

There are several grounds for concern about drug use by children and adolescents. All psychoactive drugs have acute effects on mood, concentration and cognitive functioning. They can impair memory and hence interfere with intellectual and emotional development. The most favoured targets of traffickers are young people because they are the most easily tricked into using drugs. It is the young who are most at risk, especially those in their teens. They are less accepting of parental control and values; they are beginning to assert their own individuality; and they are learning to cope with the balance between freedom and responsibility. The assertion of individually is usually accompanied by a desire to look and behave like other teenagers in their age group, in their choice of clothes, hairstyles and makeup, and which rock groups they listen to.

School environments may be dangerous for certain students. Large schools with crowded, impersonal surroundings, can leave the student lost in his or her surroundings, only being noticed by school authorities because of either excellence or inferiority in performance. In such surroundings, unsuitable friendships and liaisons can be established. Pupils on the lookout for drug customers to subsidise their own habit, or just looking to make money can take advantage of the naive, the lonely and those under physical or psychological stress.

Life is a continuous cycle of "panic" revolving around the need to get enough money to obtain the drug of choice, to take it for a brief period of comparative satisfaction, before beginning against the frantic search for the money to buy more drugs. It is necessary, therefore, to consider the more deeply rooted factors that play a part in causing individuals of all backgrounds to turn to drug abuse.

Mental health researchers pinpoint some basic factors that play a part in causing individuals of all backgrounds to turn to drug abuse. In this perspective, loneliness, lack of parental concern, lack of companionship, growing up without adequate supervision and discipline, lack of moral or religious teaching, promotion of cynicism by the media and entertainment industry, hatred of authority, discipline, or parental control, erosion of self respect, glamour, danger and high risks, peer pressure, curiosity, showing off, emotional problems, and family problems and social problems are mostly found.

Furthermore, at home the addicted youths’ behaviour seem to be odd and consequently they show a varieties of direct or indirect activities like money and easily sold goods such as tape recorders and jewelry start disappearing from the house, greater absenteeism from the home, dropping out of extra-curricular activities previously enjoyed, carelessness about appearance, unusual displays of temper frequently without cause (sudden mood swings), lack of appetite, excused by claims of dieting, wearing sunglasses at unusual times, usually to hide dilated or contracted pupils and wearing long sleeved shirts at unusual times.

Government of Nepal is coordinating with NGOs pertaining to drug abuse control. In fact, Nepalese NGOs are involved mainly in two types of works i.e. treatment and rehabilitation and working in prevention field. In the course of controlling drug abuse, awareness-raising programmes are more beneficial for imparting knowledge on adverse effects of drug dependence.

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