Drug abuse has become a major public health concern in Haryana, with the youth being the most affected, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said while referring to a recent report.
Citing a report by Rohtak PGI, Surjewala said children in the 15–18 age groups are increasingly falling into drug addiction.
He said available data shows that nearly 74 per cent of those suffering from substance abuse are below 25 years of age. Of these, about 73 per cent relapse into addiction even after treatment, underlining the seriousness of the issue.
According to government drug counselling records, 1,84,163 young people have registered for treatment at de-addiction centres across Haryana over the past five years, he said.
Age-wise figures show that 46 per cent of drug users are in the 19–25 age group, 28 per cent are between 15 and 18 years, and 21 per cent fall in the 26–35 age bracket.
The problem is more severe in rural areas, with 62 per cent of cases reported from villages, compared to 38 per cent from urban areas, the data indicates, he said.
Surjewala said the overall situation has worsened, with drug abuse cases rising by around 35 per cent compared to last year.
He added that cases of overdose-related deaths among young people are being reported from both rural and urban areas, affecting families across the state.
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