Drug Addiction among the Youth of Bangladesh: A Study in Selected Areas

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate drug addiction among the youth of Bangladesh. A total of 200 addicts were sampled out from three areas of Bangladesh (70from Dhaka city, 70 from Rajshahi city and 60 from Magura District). Those youths were students, service holders, businessmen, vehicle drivers, rickshaw-pullers, farmers, day labourers and unemployed; and their age ranged from 15 to 30 years. A purposive sampling procedure was followed to sample out the subjects (addicts). Two questionnaires were used to gather information about the addicts and these questionnaires were prepared by the researcher. While doing so, help was taken from two questionnaires (Azam, 1995 and Mahmood, 1995). The subjects were interviewed with one questionnaire and another questionnaire was also used to get information about addicts from their head of the family. The present study was designed to identify social and psychological causes of drug addiction; to determine the nature, pattern and prevalence of drug abuse; to determine the motivation, self-concept and family relationship of the addicts and also to investigate the physical change, emotional change and behavioural change of the drug abusers. It is observed from this study that most of the addicts belong to the age range of 26-30 years. The majority of the addicts in this study were male (95%) of Islamic faith (92.5%) and unmarried (90.5%). They mostly came from families of low socio-economic status. A good number of addicts had higher educational backgrounds; some of them were Master's degree holders (26.5%). It is also observed from the study that subjects were prone to addiction especially due to certain factors such as encouraged by friends (83.5%), curiosity (44.5%), recreation ( 45%), lack of religious feelings (95%), family distortion ( 19% ). Almost all the addicts reported frustration as an important cause of addiction (100%). Most of the addicts were found to use ganja (39.5%) and the other addicts used Phensedyl, Heroin, Pathedine, Alcohol, Bhang, Morphine etc. Most of the addicts were involved in the criminal activities such as cheating, stealing, hijacking, smuggling and so forth (42%). Some addicts had been taken into custody for their antisocial activities (11.5%). 30% addicts were caught by police, general mass, neighbor and family member while raising money for procuring drug. After taking drugs, the physical change, emotional change and behavioral change of the addicts were such as dizziness (95%), apathy towards work (94.5%), vomiting tendency (100%), err in work 43%), petulance (28%), breathing problem (39%), excitement, aggressive behaviour (100%), depression (95%), lack of initiatives (88%), suicidal tendency (10%), inconsistent behaviour (89%) and so forth. The study also revealed that 12.5% addicts came from broken family. The present study revealed that hedonism, intoxication, social facilitation and conformity, curiosity and urge to get relief from stress played important roles in determining addiction behaviour of the addicts. It is found that the leading motive behind drug addiction was to get relief from stress (77.12%). Of all the motives studied here, social facilitation and conformity (55%) as a motive of drug addiction was found to be the least important among the addicts. The majority of addicts might have low self-concept was found to be true in the present study. Personally perceived self score was low in 55.66% of addicts (i.e. high in 44.34% of cases): socially perceived self score was low in 42% of addicts (i.e. high in 58% of cases) and home self score was low in 38% of addicts (i.e. high in 62% of cases). Drug user's relationship with siblings was found to be satisfactory in 65. 87% of cases (i.e. unsatisfactory m 34.13% of cases); in respect of relationship with parents 67.5% had satisfactory relationship (ie.32.5% had unsatisfactory relationship) and in respect of relationship with other members of the family 72% had satisfactory relationship (ie.28% had unsatisfactory relationship).