PREVALENCE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF KARACHI, PAKISTAN: AN EVALUATION (Collaboration with Karachi Youth Initiative (KYI) by DFPF)

                                               EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Executive Summary provides an overview of research methods and procedures. Initially, research project was scheduled in short period of time. This research project started from March, 2013 and ended with August, 2013. The total duration of the research was 6 months. Furthermore, the executive summary also provides some of the main findings of the study of prevalence of substance abuse, attitudes towards drug abuse, frequency of soft and hard drugs in Karachi (i.e. Korangi, Layari & Sultanabad), Pakistan. This study suggests a brief summary of substance abuse prevalence among three areas of Karachi and their harmful consequences on the individual’s life which has also been investigated in present study. In this research, the key findings were obtained from both qualitative and quantitative aspects of study have also been presented in the result section. In all of the targeted areas the demographic characteristics (i.e. age, gender, occupation, facility, socioeconomic status and so on) were same but few of differences were found in terms of crimes and the type of substance used and these were also interpreted. In present study all aspects of the substance used were considered and discussed precisely in different sub-sections. Few empirical studies on prevalence of substance abuse have been conducted in throughout the world and particularly in Pakistan, because substance abuse in society has become the stigma of worse image in front of others communities but the problems it takes are immeasurable. There are certain psycho social problems (i.e., crimes, health issues, unemployment, loss of productivity, deaths and accidents, family problems, educational problems, interpersonal issues poverty and overall economical burden) are developed as a result of substance abuse both in short term and long term. It also destroys the norms, morality, worth and dignity of the person well-being and effectiveness in growth of society. Prevalence of substance abuse rate in these societies mentioned that people have positive attitude toward drugs and do not aware the harmful consequences of the drugs. Most of the people are advertising the effectiveness of drugs in order to achieve their business goals. While following societies are unaware about the harmful consequences of drugs. Due to which crimes rate and unemployment is increasing and education rate is decreasing, people are feeling distress when they are deprived in the field of development but they are totally unaware about the practices which are involving the people towards drugs. Due to lack of awareness among people, they are unable to understand the underlying dynamics of substance abuse prevalence. Although different organizations are working in the field of treatment but recently they turn their attention toward drug abuse prevention. However, organizations are working over drug abuse fundamental elements to reduce or eliminate drugs from the societies. It is observed that different organizations are working to provide treatment facilities for drug addicts, but drug abuse rate and numbers of addicts in society are increasing day by day. Due to high rate of drug abuse physical and psychological problems are increasing in the society rapidly. HIV/Aids, Hepatitis, and Cancers are the diseases which are increasing due to drug abuse prevalence. By keeping this view Drug Free 4 Pakistan Foundation (DFPF, 2005-to recent) is working over drug abuse prevention in Pakistan. In order to assess the fundamental elements which are causing and enhancing the rate of drug abuse in the society, the research is conducted in those areas of Karachi which are more vulnerable towards drugs. Drug abuse prevention programs have become the center of attention of those organizations who are working against drug abuse prevalence but this study is conducted 1st time in Pakistan in particular areas in order to understand the dynamics of drug abuse prevalence over broader spectrum.

This study was launched to understand the dynamics of drug abuse prevalence and to design the particular strategies against drug abuse in societies. This study investigated the factors which are pushing the people to involve in drugs such as people perception and attitudes towards drugs, reasons to involve in drugs, risk factors, person beliefs and myths about drugs abuse, lack of awareness, lack of education, role of parents, company of friends, and schooling of children. Dynamics behind drug abuse prevalence are very complicated to understand for common person, because lack of awareness among societies is the one of the major stigma for working organizations. Therefore, organizations are trying to increase knowledge among individuals to reduce drug abuse rate but people are inflexible to accept change. The major objectives of the present study were to investigate the underlying factors which are causing drug abuse prevalence in society. This study will help to designs the methods of practical knowledge to reduce rate of prevalence in society. Moreover, it will help to develop particulars strategies to reduce frequency of drugs abuse and to increase awareness among people. In this research project the three areas of Karachi were targeted (i.e. Korangi, Layari & Sultanabad) because the intensity of psychosocial problems (i.e. drug abuse ratio, crimes rate, illiteracy rate, & poverty) are increasing in these areas.

The target population in this survey was general community members belong to all socioeconomic status, and different occupations. The purpose to conduct research in these specified areas was to investigate the prevalence of substance abuse, risk factors, reasons, identification of particular drugs use and drug zones in the areas, because tendencies of crime rate are observed high in these areas. In fact, these areas are more vulnerable toward drug abuse and crimes rate is increasing due to drugs. Initially, mapping was done of each area and then participants were targeted. The purpose sampling techniques was used to target the sample population. Further, data was collected from three areas such as Korangi, Layari and Sultanabad. The total sample was comprised of (N=3528). Furthermore, the ample was divided into Korangi (N=1421), Layari (N=930) and Sultanabad (N=1177). Participants were taken from all socioeconomic status. This study started with the review of previous literatures and formulation of research tools to investigate the target results. Survey form was formulated according to the demands of policy of research and data collection was completed. 5 In this study, more than four thousand participants were approached but 3528 participants completed the survey form and participants were taken from each area with following ratios such as Korangi 40.3%, Layari 26.4% and Sultanabad 33.4%. In this survey, both the males and females were included. Total males were 69.0% and females were 30.9% in the entire survey. Age range of the participants was 12-55 years. The mean age of the sample was (M= 26.70, SD=9.87). Participants’ education level was categorized into Uneducated (N=518), Primary (N=713), Middle (N=704), Metric (N=952), Intermediate (N=422), Graduation (N=162) and Master level (N=67). Participants were taken from all socioeconomic status. All the participants were community members and have different occupation such as government employees were 8.9% (N=316), private employees were 16.8% (N=591), businessmen were 12.16% (N=446), labors were 24.4% (N=860), unemployed were 12.8% (N=453) and students were 24.5% (N=863). Findings reported that in Korangi frequency of soft drugs such as Cigarette, Paan, Guttka, Chhalia, Shesha and Nuswar (i.e. 97.3%, 81.7, 81.3%, 89.0%, 60.9% & 23.7) were found significantly high as compared to Layari (i.e. 72.3%, 71.6%, 70.2%, 64.6%, 39.4% & 32.2%) and Sultanabad (i.e. 71.4%, 54.7%, 46.6% &25.4%). On the other hand, it is observed that the frequency of cigarette smoking was found high in whole sample because most of the drug users started drugs from cigarette smoking, but frequency of Nuswar was found 26.6% in whole sample while frequency of Nuswar were found low due to high trends of others soft drugs but frequency of Nuswar was found high in Layari (32.2%) as compared to Korangi (23.7%) and Sultanabad (25.4%). More findings represented that the frequency of hard drugs is seemed very shocked in the general community sample such as, alcohol use was found high (45.2%) in whole sample as compared to others hard drugs in all three target areas. Similarly, the frequencies of Charse (34.6%), Heroin (33.1%) and Cristal (34.8%) were also found significant. It is observed that the prevention of these hard drugs is linked with high degree of soft drugs uses. On the other hand, the frequency of non-prescribed medication was found 4.6% in whole sample which is less than the frequencies of others hard drugs.

Findings reported that rate of alcohol use is high in Korangi (53.6%) as compared to Layari (39.7%) and Sultanabad (39.2%), while use of Cocaine (39.8%) was found high in Sultanabad as compared to Korangi and Layari. In addition, the further findings represented that people are deprived from treatment facilities and opportunity of awareness such as, only 4.3% participants are availing the facility of treatment in the sample of 3528 while 95.7% participants are deprived from this facility. Moreover, 98.5% participants are deprived from the support of other to provide knowledge about the harmful effect of drugs. Findings reported that 97.6% people are deprived to avail opportunity of treatment from drug abuse for self as well as for his/her family members. Further results reported that 96.7% people are deprived from facility of counseling in three areas of Karachi, 94.8% people are deprived from the facility and only 5.2% people are availing this 6 opportunity. In addition, lack of awareness about the drugs is also high 68.7% people are deprived about the awareness, while 31.2% people are known about the drug abuse consequences but due to inflexibility of environment they are bound to abuse drugs. It is observed through the findings that 73.3% people do not stop others to abuse drugs. It indicates that there is no restriction in the society to abuse drugs. Only 26.7% people are trying to stop others but they are unable to stop due to increasing trends of drug abuse in the society. Similarly, the psychological problems such as lack of empathy, suicidal ideation and feeling inferiors are found at high degree (68.4%, 68.0% & 67.1%). The high degree of these psychological problems is consistent with that lack of empathy in relationships that affect the person self worth and it leads towards suicidal ideation. Moreover, mood related problems were also found common and high in the entire sample such as lack of interest 65.8%), crying spells (66.7%), disturb sleep (66.2%), poor appetite (65.4%) and lack of attention (65.2%). Furthermore, psychological problems were found common in the whole sample such as sadness (59.7%), helplessness (60.4%), aggression (50.1%), irritability (50.2%), conflicts (54.7%), isolation (53.0%), fatigue (57.2%), face difficulties (55.8%), forgetfulness (50.2%), lack of trust (61.7%), disturbed most of the time (63.7%), No solution of my problems (67.4%) and Insecurity (39.8%). It is observed that the frequency of the psychological problems consistent with frequency of drug abuse in the entire sample. On the other hand, some of the problems are found high in the Layari such are Insecurity (77.9%). It is concluded that the frequency of psychological problems consistent with the psychosocial problems of the Layari.