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Substance Abuse In College Essay

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Title: Study of Substance Abuse among Undergraduate College Students
Introduction:
Substance abuse continues to be a major psycho-socio-medical problem worldwide. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that approximately 5 per cent of the world’s population used an illicit drug in 2010 and 27 million people, or 0.6 per cent of the worlds adult population, can be classified as problem drug users[1].
As per the census 2011, India homes to 231.9 millions young people (age group 15-24 years), constituting 19.2% of the total population [2]. Undergraduate college students represents the educated and aspiring youth population of the Nation.
According to WHO, substance abuse is “persistent or sporadic drug use inconsistent with or unrelated to acceptable medical practice”[4]. Substance use refers to the use of any psychoactive …show more content…

Among young population (ages 18 to 24), students are the most vulnerable group and substance abuse first starts during this period [6].
College students constitute a major group among drug abusers nationwide. Those who are enrolled in a full-time college program are twice as likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Binge drinking, prescription drug abuse and recreational drug use are all too common problems on college campuses [6].
The high rates of drug abuse among college students can be attributed to a number of factors, including stress, academic load, curiosity, peer pressure, feeling of adulthood, adjustment problems and lack of awareness. Alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse among students possess severe adverse effect on physical and mental health, impaired relationships, high-risk behaviours and legal problems [6,7,8].
Objectives:
(a) To know the prevalence of substance abuse among undergraduate college students from various professional and general

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