Description
Abstract
Purpose: The present study aims to explore the problem of usage of illicit drugs among Manipuri youths, the youth drug sub-culture, and other manifest impacts on the Manipuri society. This research attempts to provide insights into Manipur’s drug problem and disruption of youth lives using insider perspective.
Background: Manipur has a history of high substance abuse, and related social issues. Manipur also has easy availability of drug to local youths. This is attributed to number of factors including its location, sharing porous international boundary and its proximity to Golden Triangle used for drug trafficking. The normalization of drug culture and insurgent activities also contributes towards increasing drug usage and social degradation of Manipuri youth.
Methodological approach: A qualitative approach with snowball sampling is followed for data collection which includes drug abusers, their parents, inmates of rehabilitation centres, health counsellors, practitioners at select rehabilitation centres. To protect identities names of respondents have been anonymised.
Findings: The findings show that drug consumption has affected subjective – socio-economic, emotional and mental – condition of Manipuri society, especially youth. The finding suggests prevalence of growing drug sub-culture among the youth. The research also underscores the positive and negative realizations of drug (ab)use on youth lives, their education and family. The research also observed increase in the number of private drug rehabilitations centres, which manifested the issues of drug trafficking, smuggling and other social problems across the state.
Implications: This research advocates for an urgent need for community-based rehabilitation programs, awareness campaigns related to (ab)uses and outcomes of drugs, and government interventions to curb the rising drug sub-culture and its associated social problems.
Keywords: youth, drug abuse, Manipur, North-East India, Sub-culture
