# One in five Indian teens at moderate to high substance use risk: Study 2026-08-08T03:00:26+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Over a fifth of Indian teenagers may be at moderate to high risk of substance use, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia. Researchers from AIIMS Gorakhpur and JIPMER surveyed more than 6,000 students across 108 schools in six districts: Gorakhpur, Kamrup, Nagpur, Rajkot, Deoghar, and Puducherry. Overall, 11.1% of adolescents were classified as high risk and 10.3% as moderate risk using the WHO ASSIST tool. Schools in Guwahati and Deoghar had the highest proportions of high-risk students, while Nagpur and Puducherry schools were predominantly low risk. Key factors linked to higher risk included substance accessibility, digital exposure, and favourable attitudes towards substance use. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: mental health, prevention, schools, substance use, teenagers, WHO ASSIST Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/one-in-five-indian-teens-at-moderate-to-high-substance-use-risk-study/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/one-in-five-indian-teens-at-moderate-to-high-substance-use-risk-study/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.