research proposal on drug addiction in pakistan

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Rising trend of substance abuse in Pakistan: a study of sociodemographic profiles of patients admitted to rehabilitation centres

Affiliation.

• 1 Department of Biosciences, COMSATS, Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].
• PMID: 30616031
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.10.020

Objectives: In Pakistan, the prevalence of drug addiction is increasing at an alarming rate. However, the risk factors, which are increasing vulnerability towards addiction, remain largely elusive. The major objective of this investigation was to study the sociodemographic variables common in addicted patients in order to identify vulnerable cohorts and risk factors, which increase predisposition towards substance abuse.

Study design: This is a multi-site cross-sectional survey-based study.

Methods: In this study, 102 male addicted patients admitted to drug rehabilitation centres of the Islamabad/Rawalpindi and fulfilling Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria for dependence, were interviewed with the help of a structured questionnaire.

Results: A total of 102 male patients participated in the survey. Participants mean age was 28.4 years (±9.8), whereas 14% were aged between 15 and 20 years. A large number of respondents (35%) initiated drug abuse in the teenage years. Majority of the subjects were skilled (60%) and had secondary education (47%), whereas 8% of the patients were students. Heroin was the most abused substance (48%) followed by cannabis (28%). The mean duration of substance abuse was between 1 and 5 years, whereas a significant fraction of subjects (8%) had more than 16 years of duration of abuse. Family disputes and peer pressure were the most common reasons for initiation of substance abuse. A significant fraction of patients (46%) reported to suffer from comorbid depression.

Conclusions: The growing trend of abuse in highly addictive substances such as heroin in teenagers and in the skilled and educated stratum of society is of great concern and demands immediate preventive measures from the policymakers.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Heroin; Pakistan; Substance abuse.

Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Psychosocial factors affecting drug relapse among youth in punjab, pakistan.

1. Introduction

• H1. Self-efficacy and social support will significantly negatively impact stigma among people addicted to drugs who have relapsed.
• H2. There will be a significant negative relationship between conscientiousness and stigma among people addicted to drugs who have relapsed.
• H3. There will be a significant positive relationship between neuroticism and stigma among people addicted to drugs who have relapsed.
• H4. Social support will be a significant moderator in the association between self-efficacy and stigma among people addicted to drugs who have relapsed.
• H5. Self-efficacy will be a significant moderator in the relationship between social support and stigma among people addicted to drugs who have relapsed.

2.1. Research Design and Sample

2.2. instruments, 2.3. procedures, 2.4. statistical analyses, 4. discussion, 5. conclusions, limitations and suggestions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Malik, N.I.; Saleem, S.; Ullah, I.; Rehan, S.T.; De Berardis, D.; Atta, M. Psychosocial Factors Affecting Drug Relapse among Youth in Punjab, Pakistan. J. Clin. Med. 2023 , 12 , 2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072686

Malik NI, Saleem S, Ullah I, Rehan ST, De Berardis D, Atta M. Psychosocial Factors Affecting Drug Relapse among Youth in Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Clinical Medicine . 2023; 12(7):2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072686

Malik, Najma Iqbal, Sidra Saleem, Irfan Ullah, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Domenico De Berardis, and Mohsin Atta. 2023. "Psychosocial Factors Affecting Drug Relapse among Youth in Punjab, Pakistan" Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 7: 2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072686

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Addressing the opioid epidemic in Pakistan: urgent need for opioid stewardship and comprehensive solutions

• Published: 05 September 2023
• Volume 39 , pages 354–356, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

• Adeel Siddiqui   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7517-277X 1 ,
• Sunil Shrestha   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9174-7120 2 ,
• Ali Ahmed   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8964-1853 3 ,
• Saba Mazhar   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0291-5605 1 &
• Omar Akhlaq Bhutta   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2935-9191 1  

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Adeel Siddiqui, Saba Mazhar & Omar Akhlaq Bhutta

School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Sunil Shrestha

Department of Pharmacy Practice, Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan

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This conceptualization was developed by AS and SS based on input from OAB. OAB, SM, SS, and AS provided opioid stewardship practice input. AA, SS, and AS conducted literature review. All authors made substantial contributions to the preparation of this article, critical evaluation and revision of all drafts, and gave final approval for submission of this commentary.

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Siddiqui, A., Shrestha, S., Ahmed, A. et al. Addressing the opioid epidemic in Pakistan: urgent need for opioid stewardship and comprehensive solutions. Drugs Ther Perspect 39 , 354–356 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-023-01021-0

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-023-01021-0

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Youth at risk: The alarming issue of drug addiction in academic institutions in Pakistan

2020, Children and Youth Services Review

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Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics

Faiqua Tahjiba

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the actual condition of the students of University of Rajshahi (RU) regarding drug abuse and addiction. Using case study method the research was conducted with four objectives: (a) to find out how respondents began drug abuse; (b) to discover the causes of their drug addiction; (c) to understand the process of their drug abuse; and (d) to find out the economic, social and health effects of drug abuse. Methods: Case study method was used in this research. Through snowball sampling 18 drug- addicted students of RU were selected as respondents. In-depth interview with a schedule was used to collect data from the respondents in January 2019. Results: Findings of the study show that the causes of drug addiction included curiosity, frustration, friends’ request, neglect from family and friends etc. The drugs which they usually abused were Yaba, Phensydyle, Ganja (Weed), Chuani etc. Their average monthly expenditure for collecting drugs ...

Global Sociological Review

The current study aimed at exploring the attitude and risk perception of the students towards drug abuse. It was conducted through a quantitative survey technique in the educational institutions (Schools, Colleges and Universities) of four metropolitan cities of Pakistan. The sample size for the survey was 4997 students, using a multistage cluster sampling technique. The study found that although a majority (79%) of the students has a negative attitude towards the use of drugs, and consider its consumption as risky (poor health, lack of sleep, physical weakness, low academic performance, family conflicts and involvement in crimes), yet every fifth of the students is vulnerable to become a drug addict, as 21 percent of the respondent’s regard drug consumption as a risk-free activity. Conclusively, findings of the study, even though limited in the scope, are important to understand adolescent behaviour to ascertain the direction of future public policy on drug abuse in Pakistan.

IJMRAP Editor , BSW St Eugene

Drug abuse is one of the major problems facing the world and the youths and University students in particular are one of the categories greatly affected by drug abuse. University students in Zambia are not spared from this challenge. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the causes and impacts of drug abuse amongst University students at DMI ST Eugene University and Chreso University. The researcher employed a descriptive research design and the respondents were selected using probability sampling techniques. The key results of the study shows that drug abuse is a major challenge in the two Universities and drug abuse is having significant impact on the academic performance and the wellbeing of the students. The researcher recommends that the two Universities should put in programs robust programs to address the challenge of drug abuse in these Universities.

Don Omajemite

Abstract This study investigate the causes of drug abuse among students of higher institution in college of education warri, the study was the descriptive type while a survey method was applied. The sample of the study comprised hundred and twenty selected respondents through a random sample from schools in college of education warri. Three research questions were raised for the study. A self designed questionnaire title “causes of drug abuse among students’ of higher institution’’ was used to collect data for the study. The data collected was converted to simple percentage. Results showed that anxiety, broken home, Curiosity, frustration and materialist value are the major cause of drug abuse. Drug abuse affect abusers health, leads to lung cancer and other chronic lung diseases, makes the abuser to be abnormal and restless in behave. The findings showed that drug abuse affects students’ academic performance and reduce students’ chance of graduating. It was therefore recommended government should employ more professional counselors into tertiary Institution and give them necessary supports to perform their roles and Counselors should organize different programmes to promote healthy living among the undergraduate students that researchers should engage in research that can expose the definite causes of substance abuse.

Journal of Education and Practice

chumnong amatariyakul

Junaid Qureshi

Drug abuse is the willful misuse of either licit or illicit drugs for the purpose of recreation, perceived necessity or convenience. Drug abuse is a more intense and often willful misuse of drugs often to the point of addiction. In the eastern world the incidence shows a decline or a static pattern but the number of drug addicts is still enormous.. The major drug of abuse are heroin and marijuana but designer drugs are shown to be on the increase. The aim of the study is to determine the ratio of the drug abuse in student. For this purpose we selected different institutions including “the university of Lahore”, “Forman Christian college”(private sector) and Punjab university(Govt sector) and conducted survey in 500 student. High proportion of students was found abusing drugs. From this study, we came across multiple factors which are the main cause of drug abuse in medical student including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, as well as personality disorder like antisocial personali...

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Yassir Bousliman

Drug abuse is a public health issue, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to determine the prevalence rate of drugs use and to identify certain factors that can serve as predictors of drug use. A total of 431 students from Mohammed V University in Rabat participated in this descriptive cross-sectional survey. The prevalence of drug use (regular users and experimenters) was 32.9%. Cannabis has a frequency of 13%, whereas other substances and other psychotropics have a prevalence of 3.8%. The most common average age of onset of substance use was 15. Males had the greatest likelihood of becoming drug addicts. We discovered a high consumption of drugs among university students at the end of this work, implying the need to establish a programme to combat drug addiction, the starting point of which will undoubtedly be prevention at the primary and secondary school levels, requiring the participation of all those involved in the field of e...

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Pioneering drug abuse prevention and support

Grassroots and community-based initiatives are making a profound difference in the fight against drug abuse in Pakistan

silent revolution is taking place in the heart of Pakistan where communities are tightly knit and traditions run deep. Grassroots and community-based initiatives are emerging as beacons of hope in the fight against drug abuse, transforming lives and fostering resilience in ways top-down approaches often cannot achieve.

Pakistan faces a significant drug abuse problem, with millions affected by the scourge of addiction. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that 40 per cent of all heroin and morphine trafficked out of Afghanistan transits through Pakistan. This has contributed to a rise in addiction rates and related health issues, including the spread of HIV. Health professionals report an increasing number of new HIV positive cases each year, emphasising the urgent need for effective intervention strategies.

The International Narcotics Control Board annual report stresses the importance of governments giving greater attention to fighting drug abuse, particularly the rising use of date-rape drugs. The INCB has called for the implementation of a 2009 resolution to combat the misuse of pharmaceutical products for sexual assault and to remain vigilant about the increase in date-rape drug abuse.

Amidst this crisis, numerous grassroots organisations have sprung up, leveraging the power of community and local knowledge to combat drug abuse. These initiatives are often founded by passionate individuals who have witnessed the devastating effects of addiction firsthand. Their work is characterised by personalised care, cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of the local context.

One such initiative is Nai Zindagi (New Life). The organisation has been at the forefront of drug rehabilitation and harm reduction since 1989. Nai Zindagi focuses on providing health and social services to people who inject drugs (PWID) and their families. Their approach includes needle exchange programmes; HIV testing and counseling; and vocational training to help individuals reintegrate into society.

Through community outreach and peer-led education, Nai Zindagi has significantly reduced the spread of HIV among the PWID. Their model emphasises dignity and respect, fostering an environment where individuals feel safe and supported in their journey towards recovery.

At the forefront of these efforts is Akmal Ovaisi, head of Tanzeem-al Fajr, a prominent NGO in Pakistan. Under his leadership, Tanzeem-al Fajr has become a pivotal force in drug prevention efforts across the country. Ovaisi’s vision and dedication have galvanised a movement, bringing together diverse organisations to tackle drug abuse through a unified approach.

Akmal Ovaisi believes in the power of community involvement in addressing drug abuse. By engaging local leaders, volunteers and affected families, Tanzeem-al Fajr creates a support system that fosters recovery and prevention.

Ovaisi prioritises educational campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse. These campaigns target schools, colleges and community centres, aiming to reach young people before they fall into the trap of addiction.

Recognising that no single organisation can combat drug abuse alone, Ovaisi has built a strong network of NGOs that collaborate and share resources. This network enhances the capacity to deliver comprehensive services, from rehabilitation to vocational training.

Ovaisi actively engages with policymakers to advocate for stronger drug prevention policies and better support systems for addicts. His efforts have been instrumental in shaping national strategies that reflect the needs of those on the ground.

Aghaz-i-Nau (New Beginning) is another remarkable community-based initiative dedicated to drug abuse prevention and rehabilitation. Located in Islamabad, Aghaz-i-Nau has a holistic approach to addiction treatment, combining medical care, psychological support and spiritual healing. Their residential treatment programme is tailored to meet the needs of each individual, ensuring that recovery is sustainable.

Aghaz-i-Nau also works extensively on awareness campaigns, targeting schools and colleges to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse. By fostering a dialogue on addiction and breaking down stigmas, they empower communities to tackle the issue head-on.

Rozan, a non-profit organisation based in Islamabad, addresses the psychological and emotional aspects of drug abuse. Their programmes are designed to build emotional health and resilience, particularly among vulnerable populations such as women and children. Rozan’s community-based approach involves training local volunteers to provide psychological first aid and support to individuals affected by drug abuse.

Through workshops, counselling sessions and community events, Rozan helps individuals develop coping mechanisms and rebuild their lives. Their work highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of addiction, such as trauma and mental health issues, in order to achieve lasting recovery.

The success of these grassroots initiatives lies in their ability to mobilise community resources and create networks of support. Unlike large-scale interventions, which can often feel impersonal, community-based programs are deeply embedded in the local context. This allows them to respond more effectively to the specific needs and challenges of their communities.

These initiatives often adopt a multi-faceted approach, addressing not just the symptoms of addiction but also its underlying causes. By providing education, vocational training and emotional support, they help individuals build a foundation for a healthier, drug-free life.

Despite their successes, grassroots organisations in Pakistan face numerous challenges. Limited funding, societal stigma and bureaucratic hurdles can often obstruct their efforts. However, their resilience and innovation continue to inspire hope.

There is a pressing need for greater collaboration between government bodies, international organisations and community-based initiatives. By pooling resources and sharing best practices, it is possible to create a more coordinated and effective response to drug abuse.

In the fight against drug abuse, Pakistan’s grassroots and community-based initiatives are making a profound difference. Through their dedication, empathy and ingenuity, they are transforming lives and creating a ripple effect of positive change. As these pioneers continue their work, they remind us that the strength of a community lies in its ability to come together and support its most vulnerable members.

Support these initiatives by volunteering, donating or spreading awareness about their work.

The author works for The News. He can be contacted at [email protected]

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From Despair to Hope: Overcoming Addiction, Embracing Recovery, and Defying Stigma in Pakistan

26th June 2023 – "The magnitude of the damage caused by drugs is something I shudder to contemplate." 

At the tender age of 18, she married. But her husband was frequently absent, leaving her in solitude. 

During her pregnancy, Laila endured mistreatment from her in-laws, prompting her to seek refuge at her parents' home. Eventually, she made the difficult decision to divorce her husband. 

“The aftermath of my divorce left me engulfed in loneliness, which led me down the path of addiction,” she shared.  

"It's unfathomable to grasp the state I was in before coming here,” Laila continued, referring to the treatment center. “I resorted to renting a room where I would languish in a haze of intoxication. 

“Someone alerted my family to my dire circumstances, revealing my unwitting descent into drug addiction," she recounted. 

"I was utterly devastated, having lost everything, particularly my financial stability. Regrettably, I even neglected my child, leaving them unattended in the room while I was under the influence." 

Witnessing Laila's plight, her family sought to convince Laila that her addiction was a treatable disease. Initially hesitant, Laila gradually embraced the notion.  

Supported by her family, she embarked on a three-month treatment program at a center with trainers trained by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Funded by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office (INL) of the US Embassy in Pakistan, UNODC is building the capacity of drug treatment and prevention professionals in Pakistan on the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) and Universal Prevention Curriculum, training over 100 drug treatment professionals from civil society and health, education, and law enforcement organizations. 

The curriculums relate to the UNODC-World Health Organization “ International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders ”, a guide which identifies major components and features of effective systems for the treatment of drug use disorders. They describe treatment modalities and interventions to match the needs of people at different stages and severities of drug use disorders. 

At the center, Laila came to terms with the “extensive harm” her addiction caused. “It defies adequate description. It's inconceivable that a girl who had once led a good life found herself in such a wretched state.  

“Reflecting upon the hardships endured by my family and brothers due to my drug addiction fills me with sorrow. Addiction stained my brothers' reputation, led to the dissolution of my marriage, and compelled me to leave my children," Laila lamented. "Nevertheless, I am now on the path to recovery, guided by faith and newfound hope. 

"Today, as I conclude my treatment, an overwhelming sense of joy permeates my being. I have emerged stronger than ever, enriched by invaluable wisdom gained during my time here. I fervently pray that I never plunge into such destitution again." 

* Name changed to protect privacy

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