Over 50% high school students unaware of causes, effects of drug abuse: DIET research
PROBLEM:
Cigarette smoking often acts as gateway to drugs
Among girls, sleeping pills most used substance after tobacco
SOLUTION:
Immediate awareness progs in schools to address information gap
Prevention of experimentation among adolescents
Srinagar, Jun 17: A startling research has revealed deep and widespread awareness about narcotics and substance abuse among school-going children in Srinagar, with sleeping pills, nail paint, morphine, bhang, opium, and inhalants emerging among the most commonly identified and abused substances by teenagers, according to an action research project submitted to the Principal DIET Srinagar.
The study, conducted on 3,100 students from Classes 9th to 12th across 20 secondary and higher secondary schools of Srinagar district, paints a disturbing picture of growing exposure of adolescents to drugs, addictive substances, and inhalants at a very young age.
The research has found that the students between the age group of 12 and 19 years displayed striking familiarity not only with conventional narcotics such as heroin, charas, morphine, and cannabis but also with everyday household and stationery items, allegedly being misused as intoxicants.
According to the findings, cigarette smoking emerged as the most commonly identified substance among students, with 53.99 per cent of boys and 47.36 per cent of girls reporting awareness about cigarettes being used as drugs. The study reads that among narcotic substances, morphine was identified almost equally by boys (30.41%) and girls (28.77%), followed by cannabis, opium and shireh (opium extract). The study also found that a significant number of students were aware of substances such as heroin, cocaine, hashish and naswar.
The report revealed another disturbing trend — the use of inhalants and commonly available products as addictive substances among teenagers. “Girl students, in particular, showed awareness about chewing gum, correction fluid, nail paint remover and Vicks VapoRub being misused for intoxication purposes,” it states.
As per the survey, 33 per cent of girls identified chewing gum as a substance being abused, while 28.60 per cent reported correction fluid misuse. “Nearly 21.90 per cent of girls also pointed towards nail polish remover as an addictive substance,” it reads. “Among boys, substances like shoe polish, petrol, kerosene and spirit were more commonly identified as intoxicants.”
The study further assessed students’ awareness regarding the causes and consequences of drug abuse and found major gaps in understanding, particularly among high school students.
According to the findings, less than 50 per cent of students studying in high schools were aware of the causes and harmful effects of drug abuse. Among higher secondary boys, 68 per cent were aware of the causes and consequences of substance abuse, while awareness among higher secondary girls stood comparatively lower.
Researchers observed that more than half of high school students and a large section of girls in higher secondary schools were either unaware or uncertain about the dangers associated with drugs.
The report recommended immediate awareness programmes in schools to address the growing information gap and prevent experimentation among adolescents.
The study also attempted to identify substances commonly abused by students. Tobacco or cigarettes topped the list among both boys and girls. Among boys, 65.09 per cent identified tobacco as the most commonly abused substance, followed by morphine (45.06%), opium (40.84%), bhang (34.46%) and charas (32.85%).
Among girls, tobacco remained the most commonly identified substance at 47.36 per cent, followed by sleeping pills (34.04%), opium (31.57%), correction fluid (28.60%) and bhang (28.69%).
Researchers noted that cigarettes remain socially and culturally acceptable in society and are easily accessible, which may explain their widespread use among adolescents.
The report also linked the use of locally available substances such as bhang and opium to easy availability and local production, warning that such accessibility may be worsening the drug crisis among youth in Kashmir.
Citing previous studies, the report said cigarette smoking often acts as a “gateway to drugs.” It referred to earlier research showing increasing tobacco addiction among schoolchildren and rising opioid abuse in Kashmir, including heroin and morphine consumption.
The findings gain significance at a time when schools, health experts and law enforcement agencies in Kashmir have repeatedly raised concerns about rising drug abuse among teenagers and the emergence of a hidden culture of inhalants, prescription medicines and synthetic narcotics within the student community.
