IMPACT OF DRUG ADDICTION ON SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT FOCUSED IN MYMENSINGH DISTRICT

Drug addiction Environment Society The study was carried out to assess the impact of drug addiction on social environments in 6 wards of Mymensingh town. Information were collected on age, education level, reason of drug use, sources of drug, occupation, types of drugs, time and place of drug use, marital status and side effect of drug use. The findings revealed that about half of the drug addicted were aged more than 30 years, two-fourth people was aged between 25-30 years following less than 25 years aged people. Among the drug addicted respondents 10% were illiterate, 31, 26, 13 and 18% respondents were educated up to primary, SSC, HSC and Graduate level respectively. Most of the drug addicted respondents took drugs at day time (55%), 34% at night, among them 55% preferred alcohol, 26% preferred Yaba, 13% Gaza, and 5% preferred yrap. About 36% drug addicts suffered from vomiting, 28%, 15% suffered from vertigo, headache and gastric respectively. Most of them (80%) faced different abnormalities in their working life. Among local people who were affected by drug addiction 45% were grocery shopkeeper, 36%, 18% were confectionary worker and tea stall owner respectively. The reasons determined through research, 63% affected people informed that drug addicts were involved with drugs from depression. The study revealed that drug addiction was worsening social environment of the study area. Several ways have been recommended to remove the curse of drug addiction from our country and Mymensingh district in particular. It will also assist responsible authority to take necessary measures against drug addiction.


INTRODUCTION
Drug addiction has become a major social problem in Bangladesh.In a developing country like Bangladesh, incidence of drug addiction has been increasing day by day.It was a problem of developed countries beforehand, now it is one of the important social problems of our country.It seems our country has been trapped by this social problem.Drug addiction hampers the mental and physical strengths of human being.Drug use affects virtually every organ system of the body, from the central nervous system to the cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, and immune systems (UNODC, 2003).
Bangladesh is located between the Golden Crescent to the west, comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Golden Triangle to the east, comprising Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.Afghanistan remains the largest cultivator of illicit opium poppy in the world, accounting for approximately 87% of illicit opium worldwide and amounts to one third of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product).Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium with annual production of 1090 metric tons (Amin, 2007).The most commonly used drugs are cannabis (equivalent to ganja in Indian subcontinent), phensidyl (cough syrup containing codeine), sedatives and heroin.Other drugs, namely buprenethazine (tamagesic-an opiate), diazepam, promethazine (phenargan), synthetic opiates such as pethidine (meperidine), pentazocine and morphine are also commonly injected drugs in South Asian countries including Bangladesh (Ray, 1998;Reid, 2002;UNODC, 2003;Ikfat, 2007).Due to the improved and easy transport facilities drugs are being available easily around the world (UNODC, 2003).In recent years, drug addiction has been significantly increased in Mymensingh district (Dip, 2010).This agent of human devastation has spread its tentacles in Mymensingh and also in our country.Every intelligent and conscious person in the society is alarmed by the present rate of addiction.The addicts are students, professionals, businessmen, laborers, rickshaw/van pullers and from other professionals.Students are most affected and drugs have caused deterioration of academic performance and students have also given-up going to schools and colleges.These addicts are turning into various criminal activities in order to procure drugs.The present study was carried out to assess the present situation and identify the impact of drug addiction on social environment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted through personal interview of 38 identified addicts respondents from ward-2 (Kristopur and Kalibari), ward-1 (Natok ghorlane and munsibari), ward-4 (Brammopolly and Purohitpara), ward-5 (Baganbari), ward-14 (Maskanda), and ward-20 (Kewatkhali) areas of Mymensingh town.Different centers for Rehabilitation of Drug Addiction in Mymensingh town were purposively selected.The selected centers were i) Punorjibon, Taltola, Mymensingh ii) SETU, Chupsha Majar area, Mymensingh iii) Aalo, Vatikasor, Mymensingh iv) Dip, Mashkanda, Dokhin Para, Mymensingh.Keeping all the objectives of study in view and considering the limitation on research with respect to time, transportation and other facilities, the study area was selected for the following reasons: a) Easily accessible to the respondents, b) Apparently a quite large number of drug addicts were available in those areas, c) Easy communication facilities, d) Willingness of the respondents to cooperate with the researcher.In order to collect relevant information from the respondents, three sets of interview schedule were used.The schedules were carefully designed in keeping the objectives of the study in view.The schedule contained very easy, simple, direct questions and different scales were used to obtain information.Direct questions were used to obtain information on age, level of education, family information etc.The interview schedule was pre-tested by interviewing five sampled drug addicted and then final shape was given to the interview schedule.
Data were collected by the researcher himself during June to .October 2009.Data were collected through direct personal interview by the researcher himself among drug addicts, affected people in the locality and with the authority of rehab centers as per schedule designed during study period.To get actual and valid information from them, all possible effort were made to explain the purpose of the study and assured the respondents about the confidentiality of the information.After completing each interview, the schedule was checked and verified to be sure that answer to each item listed in it had been properly recorded.A discussion was held with the local elite to seek their opinions on eradication of drug addiction from the society.The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) program, using cross tab to find out the % of total data, mean, standard deviation and correlation between two or more variables.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Three types of respondents from different wards of Mymensingh town were surveyed to find their perception about the impact of drug addiction on social environment.The types of respondents are: Drug addicted respondents, local people who were affected by drug addiction, personnel of rehabilitation centre.

Age of respondents
Thirty eight drug addicts were interviewed in this study.Among the respondents about half of them were aged more than thirty years.About two-fourth people were aged between 25 to 30 years and another twofourth people were aged less than 25 years.Rupon (2009) reported less than 30 years respondents were mostly addicted to drugs.In this study he also found that most drug addicts were more than 30 years of age.This difference has occurred due to difference of respondents as well as study area.

Marital status of drug addicted respondents
Survey result showed that more than 60 percent respondents were unmarried and around 40 percent respondents were.

Occupation and Education of respondents
Among the respondents more than 30 percent were students.About 18% drug addicted were daily labourers and unemployed people each.About 8 percent drugs addicted were businessmen and service holders.Approximately 13 percent people were involved in other occupation (Table 1).
Survey results reported that about 30 percent addicted were illiterate.More than 25 percent people were educated upto SSC level.About 18 percent respondents had completed graduation.Around 13 percent people were educated upto HSC level.Only 10 percent people were educated upto primary level (Table 1).Wright (2001) reported illiterate people were mostly addicted to drugs.Result of this study found similar where both literate and illiterate peoples were addicted.

Sources of drugs
Survey result showed more than half of the addicts got their drugs from their friends.More than one-fourth respondents purchased their drugs from the dealers.Only 5 percent and 7 percent respondents got their dope from the local leaders and local drug sellers (Table 2).

Variation of drugs
Survey result showed that more than half of the respondents used alcohol and more than one-fourth of the respondents used aba.On the other hand only 13 percent and 5 percent respondents used gaza and syrup respectively (Table 2).

Relationship between marital status and drug addiction
The relationship between marital status of the respondents and drug addiction was examined by testing the null hypothesis: "there is no relationship between marital status and drug addiction".The computed value of the co-efficient of correlation between marital status and drug addiction was found to be 0.512 shown in Table 7.Based on the co-efficient value, the following observations were made: The relationship showed a positive trend.A significant relationship was found between two variables at 0.01 level of probability.Marital status is significant on drug addiction.Married people are less addicted to drugs.Based on the above findings, the null hypothesis was rejected.

Relationship between education of the respondents and drug addiction
The relationship between education of the respondents and drug addiction was examined by testing the null hypothesis: "there is no relationship between education of the respondents and drug addiction".The computed value of the co-efficient of correlation between education and drug addiction was found to be -0.671 as shown in table 7. Based on the co-efficient value, the following observations were made (Table 7).The relationship showed a negative trend.A significant negative relationship was found between to variables at 0.01 level of probability.Educational qualification is significant on drug addiction.Based on the above findings, the null hypothesis was rejected.

CONCLUSION
The study was carried out through personal interview of 38 identified drug addicted from different wards and different rehabilitation centers for drug addiction in Mymensingh town.The drug addictants were selected with the help of local people.Some of them were also drug addicts and the people associated with illegal drug business and some of them were selected in the study were the patients under treatments in different Centers for Rehabilitation of Drug Addiction in Mymensingh town.Local residents who had indirectly affected by drug addicted were also interviewed.It was found that drugs make a person passionate about it which resulted in physical and mental disorder and cause several diseases.Due to their behavioral changes they commit hijacking, extortion, stealing, and robbery activities.It is a matter of great concern for Mymensingh where among the addicted people most of them are young.Now, not only Mymensingh, it is a burning question for the nation, because of spoiling of golden aged people is hampered our social life and finally national progress.For safety of society and a developed nation, every person must be aware about the bad effect of drug addiction on individuals, family and also as a burden in the country.If it is tried to check drug addiction in only Mymensingh town, it would not be fruitful, because Mymensingh is not a disconnected area of country.Therefore, considerable measures should be undertaken throughout country.In view of the study, following recommendation can be considered to rescue the society from drug addiction: 1. Drug addiction, its bad effects and preventive measures should be included in school curriculum.2. Family members, particularly father, mother should play key roll to check this hazardous menace from their family.3. Law enforcing agencies should be patrolled in respective entry of all banned drugs in the country, identification and stepping be seriously dealt with.4. Community participation should be ensured to find out the treatment, rehabilitation and in prevention the spread of drug addiction problem.

Table 1 .
Occupational and Educational status of drug addicted respondents in the study area

Table 2 .
Source and Variety of drugs according to drug addicted respondents

Table 7 .
Relationship between Drug Addiction and other selected characteristics (N=38)