A troubling new study reveals that drug use among Meghalaya's youth begins alarmingly early, with some starting as young as 10 years old, significantly earlier than the average initiation age of 22 in neighboring Manipur and Nagaland.
Published in the April-June 2025 edition of the Indian Journal of Public Health, the qualitative research was conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Health in Shillong and the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society.
Researchers surveyed 128 participants who were enrolled in opioid substitution therapy programs across the regions of East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, and East Jaintia Hills, in addition to interviewing 17 service providers.
The study found the mean age of drug initiation to be 19, with more than a third of respondents beginning as minors and a quarter still in school at the time.
According to the study, an overwhelming 91 percent of the drug users are male. Notably, 80 percent are employed in the unorganised sector, and over half have received less than 10 years of formal education.
Key factors driving initial drug use include curiosity, family problems, peer pressure, and the need to relieve stress, noted the study. Heroin was identified as the most commonly injected drug, with daily usage costs ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500.
Access to drugs was described as "easy," achieved through marketplaces and mobile transactions. Once the initial phase of peer sharing subsided, many users began borrowing or stealing money, the study found.
Researchers warned that early initiation heightens the risk of long-term addiction, linking this trend to a breakdown in traditional community support systems. While polydrug use was rare, many users transitioned from pills or marijuana to heroin over time.
Furthermore, potent heroin variants locally known as 'black tiger' and 'double tiger' were reported to be especially addictive. The study urgently calls for outreach programs in educational institutions and community spaces to prevent early drug initiation and tackle the increasing usage trend.
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