Now Reading: Guwahati tops 6 districts in adolescent substance use risk study
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Guwahati tops 6 districts in adolescent substance use risk study
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia journal has found that Guwahati has the highest proportion of school-going adolescents at elevated risk of substance use among six Indian…
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia journal has found that Guwahati has the highest proportion of school-going adolescents at elevated risk of substance use among six Indian districts surveyed. The multi-centre study, which analysed data from 6,168 adolescents across 108 schools, found Guwahati's elevated risk at 42.3%.
The study, titled 'Substance use risk among school going adolescents in India: Secondary analysis of Community based Peer-Led Intervention (CPLI) trial', used the WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test and the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale to assess risk. Among the other districts, Nagpur recorded 7.1% and Puducherry recorded 0.1%.
The research was based on cross-sectional baseline data from a randomised multi-centre cluster trial. The study assessed substance use risk through self-reporting and personality trait evaluation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Substance use among adolescents is a growing public health concern in India, with limited large-scale data. This study's finding that Guwahati leads six districts is significant because it points to regional variations that may reflect local drug availability, peer influence, and socioeconomic factors. The next step would be for health authorities in Assam to examine the specific drivers and implement targeted interventions. A follow-up study or policy response from the state government is likely in the coming months.
Source: assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
