31May 2017

PATTERN OF DRUG USE AMONG FEMALE DRUG USERS IN KABUL, BALKH AND NANGARHAR PROVINCIES.

  • Jodhpur School of Public Health (JSPH) Maulana Azad University Jodhpur, India.
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Drug use is prevalent throughout Afghanistan with the highest drug use occurring in rural villages. Approximately 2.9 to 3.6 million Afghans could test positive for one or more drugs and 1.0 to 1.2 million of them are children. Of this total, approximately 1.9 to 2.4 million adults and 90,000 to 110,000 children could be drug users. (INL report 2015). Opioids are the most prevalent class of drugs in Afghanistan. Opioids use is significantly higher in rural villages than in the urban centers. It is used in nearly one out of five Afghan households (19%). Opioids were detected in one quarter (25%) of all rural households and the rate is more than four times higher than among urban households (6%). Approximately 7% of the population tested positive for Opioids with the rural rate approximately three times higher: 9% rural Compared to 3% urban. Approximately 6% of children tested positive for Opioids. The percentage of rural children who tested positive for Opioids is approximately six times higher: 1.3% urban compared to 7.5% rural. (INL 2015 report). Nearly one million Afghans (between 15 and 64 years) (6.6 % of total population) are estimated to be regular and / or problem drug users. This includes 110,000 female drug users. The numbers of heroin users have increased from 50,000 to 120,000, since 2005 constituting a grand leap of 140 per cent (UNODC, Afghanistan Drug Use Survey, 2009). Almost 6% of all drug users had injected at least once in their lifetime (IBID). Only a small fraction (11%) of drug using Respondents reported they had received any support, intervention, or treatment for their drug use (IBID). Objectives of the Study:- - To find out main types of drugs used by female drug users visiting three drop-in-centers. - To recommend key intervention strategies, including scaling-up current interventions in Afghanistan Research Methodology:- - Cross sectional quantitative research. The geographical area for implementation of questionnaire is the Drop in centers in three provinces. Each of these drop-in-centers is providing services to almost 30 female drug users on regular basis per/week. In view

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[Abdul Rahman Laiq. (2017); PATTERN OF DRUG USE AMONG FEMALE DRUG USERS IN KABUL, BALKH AND NANGARHAR PROVINCIES. Int. J. of Adv. Res. 5 (May). 2236-2253] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com

ABDUL RAHMAN LAIQ
Jodhpur School of Public Health (JSPH) Maulana Azad UniversityJodhpur, India

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/4361      
DOI URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/4361

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