A study on substance abuses among the students of higher secondary schools of imphal east and west districts of manipur

Adolescence is the most vulnerable period to various forms of risk taking behaviours as it is the age of experimentation, adventure and expiration. We study on the substance abusers among the students of Higher Secondary Schools of Imphal East and West District of Manipur. Samples were collected from the class XI and XII students of Governments and Private schools in the Imphal West and East district of Manipur through a questionnaire package that ascertain reasons for substance abuse with reference to the relation between substance abuse and psychological factor, peer group pressure, joyfulness, tension remover, rebelliousness, curiosity, intercultural influence, climatic conditions, easy availability, future insecurity and modernisation. Chi square test showed the peer group pressure, tension, rebelliousness and curiosity as the main reason that influence significantly to take to substance abuse while the other parameters did not show any variations in the opinion among the students. No single measure would be effective to prevent the use of drugs until and unless parents, school and society all the three collectively and cooperatively tackle the problems of substances abuse from different angles. Parents can help through early education about psychoactive substances, open communications, good role modelling, and early recognition if problems are developing. Thus, further study covering large sample sizes is needed to come to a conclusive result about the substance abuse among the adolescent.