Drug Abuse and its Effects on Users‟ Life (A Study of Current Narcotic Drug Users in Pokhara)

Abstract

The study “Drug abuse and its Effects on Users‟ Life” is to explore the social and cultural factors of being drug users and impacts of the drug abuse on their personal life. It is completely on field base descriptive types of study at Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City of Kaski district. Availability based sampling strategy for 65 respondents (current drug users) and judgmental sampling strategies for the non-drug-using key informants were applied. This study is mainly based on primary sources of data however the secondary information were also incorporated during the study. The respondents were taken from both male and female of any age groups. The respondents were about 30% of the sample was taken from the current beneficiaries of Methadone Treatment Center (MTC) of Pokhara and the rest 70% from the community. Questionnaires with the interview schedule was made to and applied as tool to collect the primary information. The secondary information was taken from some recovered persons. The study found that the most of the respondents lived with their families and were either unemployed or students. About 52% of the respondents were unmarried and 62% are less than 29 years of age. Most of the narcotic drug users are male and a few of them are female. Large majorities (65%) of the respondents are from local ethnic groups whereas the Brahmin/Chhetri has 20% and Hill Dalit has 15% among total respondents. About 83% respondents had studied only up to the secondary level and dropped out due to the adoptation of drug use practice. Similarly, in all total 50.8% respondents (including 4.6% students) were unemployed. The majority (65%) of respondents were applied both oral and intravenous methods, whereas only oral are 23% and only intravenous are 12%. The commonest sources of drugs were illegal local drug dealers, other drug-using peers and sometime medicine shops. The commonest source of drugs money was the family. The study is found that about 70% of total respondents were not getting direct and daily care and guidance from their fathers during their teenage or schooling time when the most of the respondents were initiated to use drugs.

Friends from the neighborhood and schools are known as the major sources to learn the drug abuse that the study has found. Similarly, the study has found the peer pressure; curiosity to experience and for the enjoyment is also the major stimulations to initiate drugs. Due to the drug use habit, the individual (user himself/herself) and family were affected by the various types of problems i.e. worse relationship with the wife, with family members and with the neighbors. Similarly, the user himself/herself has faced various types of personal problems i.e. lost the credibility, health problems, economic problems, dropout out the study and missed the opportunities on enhancing of capacity and to get various opportunities of jobs within the country and abroad as well. Similarly, the study is also explored that the due to the drug abuse practice by a member in a family; it has severe bad impacts falls on the whole family i.e. the family has lost the credibility and dignity from the neighbors and relatives. The economic problem is common. The study is also noticed that an overwhelming majority of drug abusers felt the need to stop abusing drugs. Cost-effective drug treatment is urgently needed in all areas of the country. By the end of the study, it can be concluded that the drug abuse among the young people in Pokhara is a serious problem. It has terrible effects on users‟ personal life, family and social status too. So, thinking a proverb “Prevention is better than care”, the proper parental guidance to their children during the teenage or schooling time is must.