Drug Abuse Among School children

Source: The post “Drug Abuse Among School children” has been created, based on “Kids as young as 11 dabbling in drugs, shows 10-city survey” published in “Times of India” on 11th December 2025.

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-2- Social Justice

Context: The multi-city survey shows that substance use among schoolchildren begins at an average age of 12.9 years. The findings indicate a growing public-health challenge that needs urgent and coordinated action. The study covered 5,920 students across 10 cities, capturing a broad national pattern.

Key Findings of the Survey

1. Lifetime Prevalence: The survey found that 15.1% of students had used a psychoactive substance at least once. It reported that 10.3% had used substances in the past year and 7.2% in the past month.
2. Common Substances: Tobacco (4%) and alcohol (3.8%) were the most used, followed by opioids (2.8%), cannabis (2%), and inhalants (1.9%). Most opioid use originated from non-prescribed pharmaceutical pills, showing easy access.
3. Age Variation: Students in Classes XI–XII were nearly twice as likely to use substances compared to Class VIII students.
4. Gender Differences: Boys reported higher use of tobacco and cannabis, whereas girls reported higher use of inhalants and pharmaceutical opioids.
5. Under-Reporting Risk: Over 50% of students admitted they would hide their substance use if questioned, suggesting concealed prevalence.
6. Mental-Health Link: Past-year users reported higher psychological difficulties (31%) compared to non-users (25%). Users showed greater conduct problems, hyperactivity, and emotional distress.
7. Family and Peer Influence: Around 40% of students reported substance use within their homes, normalizing the behaviour. Students with substance-using peers were significantly more likely to consume substances themselves.
8. Low Help-Seeking: Only 1% of young users sought help, indicating a severe treatment gap.

Associated Risk Factors

1. Easy Availability: Substances like tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, and opioids are easily accessible to adolescents.
2. Emotional Distress: Lack of mental-health support pushes children to use substances as coping mechanisms.
3. Family Normalisation: Substance use at home reduces perceived risk and encourages experimentation.
4. Peer Pressure: Peer groups strongly influence early initiation and continued use.
5. Weak Regulation: Poor control over pharmaceutical sales allows minors to access prescription opioids.
6. Brain Vulnerability: The adolescent brain’s sensitivity increases the risk of addiction and long-term harm.

Implications

1. Higher Addiction Risk: Early initiation significantly increases the likelihood of long-term dependence.
2. Academic Deterioration: Substance use contributes to falling grades, absenteeism, and poor school engagement.
3. Mental-Health Decline: Emotional instability, anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues intensify.
4. Gendered Vulnerabilities: Rising substance use among girls reflects hidden self-medication and secrecy.
5. Social Impact: Family conflict, secrecy, and risky behaviours escalate, affecting long-term social functioning.

Measures Needed

1. School-Based Measures
   1. Early Prevention: Programmes should begin before middle school to delay experimentation.
   2. Counselling Strengthening: Schools must build robust counselling and mental-health support systems.
   3. Regular Screening: Routine mental-health assessments should identify at-risk children early.
2. Family-Level Measures
   1. Open Communication: Parents must initiate honest conversations about substance risks and emotions.
   2. Warning Sign Recognition: Families should be trained to spot mood changes, secrecy, and falling academic performance.
3. Community & Regulatory Measures
   1. Stricter Enforcement: Stronger laws must restrict the sale of substances to minors.
   2. Pharmacy Oversight: Monitoring is needed to prevent the sale of non-prescribed opioids.
   3. Awareness Campaigns: Community programmes should educate both parents and adolescents.
4. Health-System Measures
   1. Adolescent Services: More adolescent-friendly treatment and counselling centres are needed.
   2. Integrated Education: Substance-use awareness should be included in school health programmes.
5. Research & Monitoring
   1. Regular Surveys: Continuous data collection is essential to track emerging trends.
   2. Targeted Strategies: Gender- and age-specific interventions must be developed.

Conclusion: The survey signals dangerously early substance initiation among schoolchildren. Effective response requires integrated action from schools, families, communities, and health systems.

Question: Early substance use among schoolchildren is emerging as a major public-health concern in India. Examine the key risk factors behind this trend and suggest multi-level measures to address it.