Drug abuse in Asia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Sociology

Background:

• Opium has a traditional use in Southeast Asia for medicinal and recreational purposes.
• Prohibition of opium in several countries led to a shift towards heroin use.
• Youth in Southeast Asia exhibit increasing trends in drug experimentation, including multiple substances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the prevalence and patterns of drug abuse in Southeast Asia.
• To understand the transition from opium to heroin use.
• To highlight the evolving nature of drug abuse, including psychotropic substance use and injection drug use.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies and surveys on drug use in Southeast Asia.
• Analysis of trends in drug abuse, including specific substances like heroin, cannabis, stimulants, and volatile solvents.
• Examination of geographical and social spread of drug abuse.

Main Results:

• Heroin abuse emerged as an epidemic, predominantly affecting young people in Southeast Asia.
• Increasing trend towards injecting high-purity heroin.
• Drug abuse has spread geographically and socially to countries like India and Sri Lanka.
• Increasing abuse of manufactured psychotropic substances when heroin is unavailable.
• Methamphetamine abuse in Japan has occurred in two epidemic waves.

Conclusions:

• Drug abuse, especially heroin, poses a significant and evolving public health challenge in Southeast Asia.
• The trend towards injecting drug use and experimentation with multiple substances requires targeted interventions.
• Understanding the historical context and geographical spread is crucial for effective drug control strategies.