Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Drug Abuse in Asia

Regional Variation of drug Abuse in South Asia

BANGLADESH
The majority of heroin abusers are reported located in urban areas, mainly Dhaka (DNC 1991). Cannabis and psychotropic substances are also reported abused mainly in urban areas (U.N. 1989, 1990).

BHUTAN
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

INDIA
Significant regional as well as rural and urban variations exist. Abuse is more pronounced in towns on the eastern and western borders and in those located along smuggling routes, like the highway to Nagaland. Heroin abuse is reported spreading to rural areas (INCB 1992).

            In industrial areas with a rapid growth of the population, the availability of drugs is rather marked. In urban areas of the north-eastern, northern and southern states, cannabis and heroin are the most prevalent drugs abused (ICMR 1993).

MALDIVES
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

NEPAL
Drug abuse is reported mainly in urban areas, but cannabis abuse is also reported, to a limited extent, in rural areas (U.N. 1990). Among the estimated 25,000 drug dependents (excluding tobacco, alcohol and cannabis abusers), 13,000 are reported to live in the Kathmandu valley (Nepal 1993).

SRI LANKA