Root Causes of Substance Abuse among Youths of Guwahati City, Assam, India

Abstract

Substance abuse and addiction is one of the major public health challenges across the Globe. Adolescents are among the most vulnerable group. The present study was descriptive in nature and centered around males of age group 18 to 30 years. 100 drug abusers from 3 rehabilitation centers were interviewed. Purposive sampling techniques were used to collect data. Alcohol and heroin was found to be main substance abused by the youths. Peer pressure, for fun and amusement and curiosity were found to be main instigator for youth to indulge in drug abuse. The main consequences of addiction among youth were found to be negative impact on health, loss of social reputation and broken families.