Drug Addiction and Drug De-Addiction

This study was carried out among the 30 patients at Navjyoti Drug De-Addiction Centre, Delhi. India. In the context of the results and interpretations, the conclusions may be drawn as under: Among the subjects studied, all of them were resident of urban

areas. There were equal numbers of married and unmarried patients, while one was divorced. It was seen that almost all of the patients had a very happy childhood and only few of them had experienced parental loss and poverty before the age of 15 years. Interesting thing is that every patient wanted to get rid of his habit and nearly each one of them felt bad about their addiction. Few of them had been arrested by the police in the past for their drug influenced and violent behavior.

Among the drugs addicted to, Alcohol was the most addictive; nearly 50% patients were addicted to Alcohol. Proxivon (Pain killer capsule) and Smack had claimed second rank while others that had a few takers were Bhang (CANNABIS), Ganja, Corex (Cough Syrup), Forvin and Aphim. Few patients took more than one drug with observed combination like Alcohol with Smack, Ganja and Aphim; Smack, alcohol and bhang; Smack and Aphim; Alcohol with Corex and with ganja.

Mental Stress and work load were the reasons for the addiction in some subjects. Major causes of addiction were bad company and most of the addicts had taken to drugs “Just for fun”. Medical treatment and spare time and boredom were other few.

Another important observation was the influence of family members to encourage addiction. Fathers and brothers were found guilty in almost 50% cases; some claimed even uncle to be their patron. Majority of the patients studied had been from nuclear family.

The addicts were mainly from lower middle class family with private job with their father either in own business or with no father.
Some patients were from the upper middle class families with either their own business or self employment. Some also came from families with government job and they themselves were working at such posts. Only a few patients were students and a couple of them were unemployed.

Majority of the patients were adults between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Few were teenagers while some were from the age group above 40. All the subjects were educated with at least12th class and Graduate certificates while some had even Post-graduate qualification.

: Santosh Raut.
AIBHAS
Amity University
Block- C, 3rd Floor,
Sector-125, Noida, UP
India – 201303