Drug Danger And Social Behaviour

Drug addiction, compulsive craving for drugs is an oldest phenomena because the societies, in all parts of the world, have been using phychoactive drugs drawn from more than 4000 plants, to cure various ailments, to enjoy pleasurable sensation and to alter mood when used otherwise. Hence these drugs have always been misused to create euphoria and never have posed a serious threat to the society. But developments, in the last quarter of the twentieth century have given new dimensions of an epidemic because through technological progress, an increasing number of alkaloids and their derivatives like heroin (smack), crack and many other deadly drugs have captured the minds of youths. Recent studies and investigations have showed some disturbing signs indicating deterioration in the drug-abuse scene in India and de-addiction clinics at various hospitals in the country speak volumes of the enormity of the problem. Addiction of heroin and other similar drugs to the traditional alcohol, tobacco and cannabis has made the situation quite grave and alarming. It is, therefore, in the fitness of things that indepth studies be made in the use of cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to find out their acceptance or otherwise in the Indian society and their impact. The present book is an attempt in this direction, which primarily intends to communicate the gravity of the problem in India. Exhaustive exploratory work has been done by the author of this book to highlight the actual position of drug-abuse scene in India with illustrations. The work not only discusses the present problem but also traces the history of the addiction to various objects and peoples attitude towards them. An interesting part of the work is that where the author shows how smoking of tobacco and use of cannabis have become part of religious or social customs of various people of the world. The social aspect of drug abuse has been fully dealt with in the work.