THE DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE

We observed 26th june as the day against drugs. We must know drug
addiction is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders

Drug use in recent few decades particularly in young productive and
fertile age has shown an alarming increase and has penetrated all
segments of society. It has far reaching health, social, economic and
political repercussions making it mandatory for psychiatry, education,
social work and law endorsement agencies to work in collaboration.
There is high risk of development of psychiatric disorders in patients
who have been using these drugs of addiction over prolonged period of
time. Patients suffering from drug abuse and psychiatric disorders
simultaneously have variable impact on general condition and
functioning and in fact are very difficult to treat.

18-35 yrs Age group was mostly involved (70-80%)

Males were more effected than females

All segments of society were involved equally.

Single (unmarried, divorced, widowers) were affected more than the
married population.

Illiterates as much involved as literates

Most important and alarming to note here was involvement of our
Student community, chemists, tourism/ transport trade,
professionals in addition to the unemployed were involved

Rural equally effected as urban

Availability is the root cause in addition to following
precipitants:

Stress, prevailing disturbed conditions, Maladjustment

Unemployment

Peer group/ curiosity 50%

Failure in exams / family dispute

Drugs commonly used by these dually diagnosed patients

Cannabis(locally known as charas) + some other addictive drug
40%

Opioids (capsule/syrup/injection form) 30%

Multiple substances used together

glues, polishes, paints, erasers etc

Alcohol to a lesser extent because it's not approved socially over
here.

In addition Research work carried on the patients abusing drugs by Dr.
Maajid, Registrar psychiatry, Govt medical college Srinagar, showed
that more than half of these patients had a coexisting psychiatric
disorders in the form of depression, Bipolar affective disorders,
Anxiety disorders, Schizophrenia, Adjustment disorders, suicides etc.
In addition this study revealed few of the following very important
observations.

This research work was presented in an international conference on
Bipolar Disorders organized by University of Pittsburgh Medical
Centre, Pennsylvania, USA from June 7-9th. This research was
appreciated by researchers of international repute and has been
accepted for publication in International journal of neurosciences and
psychiatry.

Keeping in view these alarming observations, we need to upgrade our
psychiatric facilities including establishment of state of art drug
deaddiction centre in this part of world to cope up with increasing
rush of these patients, rather than opting for short cuts like
training the field doctors for short periods, which obviously instead
of helping to diagnose and treat this ailing community will prove
deleterious as making a psychiatrist needs 3 years of post graduate
training. So these short term trainings will only add to misery of
psychiatric patients as they will be at the helm of these pseudo
psychiatrists ('neem hakims'). In addition setting up general hospital
psychiatric units as directed by Honorable Supreme court of India and
as a part of national mental health Programme, psychiatric facilities
(under the supervision of psychiatric specialist) should be started
at least in District hospitals.

(Dr. Maajid is a noted Psychiatrist of the valley)