Cannabis chief drug used by teens in Kerala, says study by state excise department

Regarding the age of first drug abuse, 70 per cent said they first used the contraband between the ages of 10 and 15, while only 20 per cent had their first drug use between the age of 15 and 19. At the same time, 9 per cent of the participants in the survey said they had their first drug use even before the age of 10.

The survey indicated that ganja accounted for 82 per cent of drug abuse among teenagers. While 75.66 per cent of the teenagers surveyed in the study indulged in smoking, 64.66 per cent used alcohol and 25.5 per cent used narcotic substances. Around 77 per cent of those surveyed are currently smokers.

With regard to the impact of drug abuse on health, the survey said 61.5 per cent of the drug addicts suffered from dry mouth, 52 per cent from fatigue and 38.6 percent from sleep-related problems. Around 37 per cent had a history of violent behaviour, 8.8 per cent had depression and 8.6 per cent struggled with memory problems.

The findings said most teenagers started using drugs out of curiosity, either due to the influence of a peer group or with the expectation to get pleasure. Around 80 per cent of the persons had their first drug from a friend, but only 5 per cent had it from family members. As many as 38 per cent of those who participated in the survey had shared drugs with their friends.

On occasions when they used drugs, the vast majority said it was with friends. Eighty per cent of the participants in the survey used drugs with friends, while 20 per cent had it alone. As many as 35.16 per cent of teenagers said they used drugs when they were under stress.

Excise Minister M B Rajesh said the survey was held only among teenagers. The excise department will soon conduct a comprehensive survey, covering one lakh people belonging to as many as 26 segments, he added.