Publication:

Pattern of substance abuse: a community based study in West Bengal

Background Drug addiction produces serious pervasive and expensive social problems. Regardless of whether substance abuse is a sin, a crime, a bad habit or an illness society has a right to expect that an effective approach to drug abuse problem will reduce drug related crime unemployment, family dysfunction and disproportionate use of medical care. Science has made great progress over the past several years, but it is still not possible to account fully the physiological and psychological process that transform controlled voluntary use of drugs into uncontrolled is voluntary dependence on those substances, and these is still no cine. The objective of the study was to find out pattern of different types of substance abuse in a community in West Bengal.

Methods An observational cross-sectional community based study during April 2017-September 2017 in a community of West Bengal among 142 addicted persons.

Results In the studied 142 cases, Brown sugar (an adulterated form of Heroin) was primary drug of abuse in urban area contrary to alcohol in rural area. Commonest age of initiation was between 15-20 years (57.75%). Polydrug abusers (59.1%) were common.

Conclusions Our study revealed that in spite of having strict legislation for prohibition of substance abuse, people are still addicted with alcohol, cannabis, drugs etc. Substance use is prevalent in the studied area, with a higher prevalence in males. Substance users rarely seek treatment for substance use. This needs continuous awareness and community-level services for the treatment of substance use disorders.