Drug Use in Nepal: The View from the Street

This study uses qualitative research techniques to examine heroin use in Nepal. It explores the life histories of 16 heroin users in Kathmandu, the country's capital, emphasizing those who are street children or who are otherwise displaced. The cases document that the initiation of use in Nepal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Substance use & misuse 1997-01, Vol.32 (7-8), p.987-1004
Main Authors: Jutkowitz, Joel M., Spielmann, Hans, Koehler, Ulrich, Lohani, Jagdish, Pande, Anil
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abuse
Adolescent
Adult
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Developing Countries
Drug use context
Female
Heroin
Heroin Dependence - epidemiology
Heroin Dependence - psychology
Heroin use
HIV Infections - psychology
HIV Infections - transmission
Homeless Persons - psychology
Homeless Persons - statistics & numerical data
Homeless Youth - psychology
Homeless Youth - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Incidence
Life Style
Male
Nepal
Nepal - epidemiology
Qualitative research
Risk Factors
Social Environment
Street children
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - psychology
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Summary:This study uses qualitative research techniques to examine heroin use in Nepal. It explores the life histories of 16 heroin users in Kathmandu, the country's capital, emphasizing those who are street children or who are otherwise displaced. The cases document that the initiation of use in Nepal is a complex process which includes: certain personality traits; an early history of culturally acceptable use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or hashish; peer influence; and the specific social setting of users. Outside (i.e., foreign) influences are included in the mix, but never as 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 the availability of heroin. An additional factor is the poverty of the urban setting. The approach in Nepal to dealing with drugs primarily involves a realization of the role played by the interaction between personality and social setting in the fullest meaning of that term. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]
ISSN:1082-6084
1532-2491
DOI:10.3109/10826089709055867