By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 9: Drug use in Meghalaya is beginning as early as age 10, according to a qualitative study published in the Indian Journal of Public Health (April-June 2025).
Conducted in 2022, the research surveyed 128 opioid substitution therapy clients in East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, along with 17 service providers. The mean age of initiation was found to be 19 years, with over one-third starting as minors and a quarter while still in school.
The study, by researchers from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong, and the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, reported that more than 91% of users were male, 80% worked in the unorganised sector, and over half had less than 10 years of schooling. Curiosity, family problems, peer pressure, and stress relief were cited as the most common reasons for starting.
Heroin was identified as the most frequently injected drug, with daily spending ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000—and in some cases up to Rs 2,500. Access was described as “easy” through marketplaces and phone-based transactions, with many users resorting to borrowing or stealing money once initial peer sharing ended.
Meghalaya’s average drug initiation age is lower than in neighbouring Manipur and Nagaland, where it stands at 22 years.
Researchers warned that early initiation increases the risk of long-term addiction and pointed to the breakdown of traditional community support systems as a contributing factor.
While polydrug use was rare, users often switched over time from pills or marijuana to heroin. High-potency variants, nicknamed “black tiger” or “double tiger”, were seen as particularly addictive.
The authors stressed the importance of outreach in educational institutions and community spaces to curb the rising trend.
