Drug Use in Nepal: The View From the Street

• NCJ Number: 169037
• Journal: Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 32 Issue: 7 & 8 Dated: special issue (June 1997) Pages: 987-1004
• Author(s): J M Jutkowitz; H Spielmann; U Koehler; J Lohani; A Pande
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 18 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Agency for International Development
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This study used qualitative research techniques to examine heroin use in Nepal; the specific focus was on the life histories of 16 heroin users in Kathmandu who were street children or otherwise displaced.

Abstract

The 16 cases demonstrated the initiation of drug use in Nepal is a complex process that includes certain personality traits; an early history of culturally acceptable use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and hashish; peer influences; and the specific social setting of users. Outside or foreign influences do not constitute a single determinant of drug use. Factors specific to the Nepali scene include the traditional association of forms of marijuana with certain religious contexts and heroin availability. An additional factor is the poverty of the urban setting. The approach used in Nepal to deal with drugs primarily involves realization of the role played by the interaction between personality and social setting. 14 references, 6 notes, and 1 table