AIIMS-led survey of 5,920 students across 10 Indian cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, etc.) finds average substance initiation at 12.9 years, with 15.1% lifetime use including tobacco (4%), alcohol (3.8%) and opioids (2.8%)
Peer pressure, home exposure (40% report substances at home) and emotional distress drive early trials, with rising use among girls via self-medication, only 1% seek professional help
Researchers demand pre-middle school interventionsc, school counsellors and family education to delay onset and prevent addiction, as each delayed year reduces substance use disorder risk
A groundbreaking nationwide survey led by AIIMS Delhi has exposed a hidden crisis in Indian schools: children as young as 11-12 are experimenting with drugs, with the average age of initiation at just 12.9 years. Published this month in the National Medical Journal of India, the study, the first comprehensive look at adolescent substance use across diverse regions, warns that without urgent pre-middle school interventions, occasional trials could spiral into lifelong addiction.
The research, spearheaded by Dr Anju Dhawan of AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, quizzed 5,920 students (mean age 14.7) from grades 8, 9, 11 and 12 in urban government, private and rural schools across 10 cities: Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Dibrugarh and Ranchi. Shocking stats show 15.1% had used any substance at least once in their lifetime, 10.3% in the past year and 7.2% in the last month. Tobacco topped the list at 4%, followed closely by alcohol (3.8%), opioids (2.8% — mostly non-prescribed pills), cannabis (2%) and inhalants (1.9%). Girls' usage is rising, often as discreet self-medication for emotional distress, while 40% of users reported substances at home and peer pressure as major triggers.
Experts like psychiatrist Dr Vikram Bhagat stress that easy access with students claiming 95% believe drugs are harmful yet procuring them effortlessly, combined with family conflicts and academic stress, is fueling this trend. Only 1% seek help, underscoring the need for school counsellors, brief interventions and coping skills training. "Delaying initiation by even one year slashes addiction risk," the authors urge, calling for nationwide school-based programs before the problem entrenches further.
