New Delhi: School-going children are picking up drug and smoking habits and engaging in consumption of alcohol, with the average age of introduction to such harmful substances found to be around 13 years, suggesting a need for earlier interventions as early as primary school, a multi-city survey by AIIMS-Delhi said.
The findings also showed substance use increased in higher grades, with grade XI/XII students two times more likely to report use of substances when compared with grade VIII students. This emphasised the importance of continued prevention and intervention through middle and high school.
The study led by Dr Anju Dhawan of AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, published in the National Medical Journal of India this month, looks at adolescent substance use across diverse regions.
The survey included 5,920 students from classes 8, 9, 11 and 12 in urban government, private and rural schools across 10 cities -- Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ranchi. The data were collected between May 2018 and June 2019.
The average age of initiation for any substance was 12.9 (2.8) years. It was lowest for inhalants (11.3 years) followed by heroin (12.3 years) and opioid pharmaceuticals (without prescription; 12.5 years).
Overall, 15.1 per cent of participants reported lifetime use, 10.3 per cent reported past year use, and 7.2 per cent reported use in the past month of any substance, the study found.
The most common substances used in the past year, after tobacco (4 per cent) and alcohol (3.8 per cent), were opioids (2.8 per cent), followed by cannabis (2 per cent) and inhalants (1.9 per cent). Use of non-prescribed pharmaceutical opioids was most common among opioid users (90.2 per cent).
On being asked, 'Do you think this substance is easily available for a person of your age' separately for each substance category, nearly half the students (46.3 per cent) endorsed that tobacco products and more than one-third of the students (36.5 per cent) agreed that a person of their age can easily procure alcohol products.
Similarly, for Bhang (21.9 per cent), ganja/charas (16.1 per cent), inhalants (15.2 per cent), sedatives (13.7 per cent), opium and heroin (10 per cent each), the students endorsed that these can be easily procured.
About 95 per cent of the children, irrespective of their grade, agreed with the statement that 'drug use is harmful'.
The rates of substance use (any) among boys were significantly higher than those of girls for substance use (ever), use in the past year and use in the past 30 days. Compared to grade VIII students, grade IX students were more likely, and grade XI/XII students were twice as likely to have used any substance (ever).
The likelihood of past-year use of any substance was also higher for grade IX students and for grade XI/XII students as compared to grade VIII students.
About 40 per cent of students mentioned that they had a family member who used tobacco or alcohol each. The use of cannabis (any product) and opioid (any product) by a family member was reported by 8.2 per cent and 3.9 per cent of students, respectively, while the use of other substances, such as inhalants/sedatives by family was 2-3 per cent, the study found.
A relatively smaller percentage of students reported use of tobacco or alcohol among peers as compared to among family members, while a higher percentage reported inhalants, sedatives, cannabis or opioid use among peers.
Children using substances (past year) compared to non-users reported significantly higher any substance use by their family members and peers.
There were 25.7 per cent students who replied 'yes' to the question 'conflicts/fights often occur in your family'. Most students also replied affirmatively to 'family members are aware of how their time is being spent' and 'damily members are aware of with whom they spend their time'.
Comments
Islam is not a religion to add membership to show the population.
It is a true religion to practice guidelines of only one creator Allah (S.B.T). Accepting and quitting Islam will not make any difference for true Muslims. One who understands his creator will not reject his religion even if he dies because his life starts after death which is unlimited. The life in earth is so short that we can compare to hotel stay for a day.
Rejecting Islam means he is rejecting his creator Al Mighty Allah and it doesn’t mean he is quitting from Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world only in Qty. where is true Muslim? very few in qty
Accepting Islam doesn’t mean becoming membership in Islam. It is accepting his creator and his guidelines to practice successful and peaceful life and thereby prepare for his permanent life which starts after his death.
For true Muslims there is no fear to die. because he is always prepared and waiting for his death
May Almighty Allah guide us True path and success.
This is really unfortunate. He has chnged in religion only to get the verdict in his favor. Suppose he wont get it, will he convert to Christianity or Budhism or Sikhism? Will the media give same preference in case he would have changed to religion other than Hinduism or if any Hindu converted to another religion. This issue is now on the top agenda of Media and they are publishing it by applying ghee + butter. None knows truth behind it. However this family will not succeed in this world and the life after death if they convert to other religion though none can force them to change the religion. Islam or Muslims will not lose anything if this family converts to another religion. But this family will lose and they will realise it sooner or later. Let us pray God to keep them on right path and not on the path of Sathan.
he would have converted to christinaty so he can get international help from devil DOnald trump or vatican pope, lol religion is your choice, but the main point here the god look at is your heart, how you treat mankind & how you obey GOD command, how to spend you money & how you live..people who worship idol will be throwen to hell forever there is no excuse and the punishment is very severe, if your an eithest there will be a change & it depend on GOD & also how you lived in earth.
The religion is set of law decreed by the CREATOR/ ONE AND ONLY GOD.
It guides from birth till death and showing how to be also succesful in the life after the death.
This is not how we think just to suite the temporary needs.
Before accepting or rejecting any religion, he should have thorough idea of its teachings.
Unless it is known, believed in it and practiced, we can not call him the follower of Hinduism OR ISLAM, OR Christianity OR whatever.
Like changing for personal temporary gains, has no meaning and not required they can live like aninals which have no religions.
The animals follow and do whatever easy for them.
God give wisdom to all
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