Study Reveals Alarming Substance Use Risks Among Indian Adolescents

A recent study has uncovered that over 20% of adolescents in six Indian districts are at moderate to high risk for substance use, with Guwahati schools being notably affected. The research, involving more than 6,000 students, highlights significant disparities in risk levels across regions. Factors contributing to these risks include accessibility to substances and digital exposure, while social engagement appears to offer protective benefits. The study calls for enhanced regulatory measures and peer-led initiatives to combat this growing concern among youth. Read on to explore the detailed findings and recommendations.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 28, 2026, 15:23 IST

Significant Substance Use Risk Identified in Indian Schools

File image of students in a gathering. Picture used for representational purpose only. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)

Guwahati, Jul 28: A recent study has highlighted that over 20% of adolescents surveyed in six Indian districts are at moderate to high risk for substance use, with schools in Guwahati being particularly affected, as reported in The Lancet Regional Health–Southeast Asia.

The research involved over 6,000 adolescents from 108 government and private schools, revealing that 21.4% of participants fell into the moderate-to-high risk category for substance use.

Among these, 10.3% were identified as at moderate risk, while 11.1% were classified as high risk, leaving 78.6% in the low-risk category.

The survey encompassed students from six districts: Kamrup in Assam, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Nagpur in Maharashtra, Rajkot in Gujarat, Deoghar in Jharkhand, and Puducherry.

Findings indicated that Guwahati and Deoghar had the highest percentages of adolescents in the moderate and high-risk groups, whereas Nagpur and Puducherry predominantly featured low-risk profiles.

A notable 35.1 percentage-point difference in substance use risk was observed between Guwahati and Nagpur.

Researchers attributed nearly 40% of this disparity to factors such as school characteristics, socio-demographic and economic conditions, and individual personality traits.

The study, conducted by teams from institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Gorakhpur, and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, utilized the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO ASSIST) to assess substance use risk. Personality traits were evaluated using the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS).

Several modifiable factors linked to increased substance use risk were identified, including easier access to addictive substances, heightened digital exposure, and risky behavioral environments. Conversely, stronger social engagement was found to offer protective benefits. Additionally, male adolescents exhibited lower odds of higher substance use risk compared to their female counterparts.

The authors pointed out that there is a scarcity of studies in India that have explored multi-substance use risk among adolescents using standardized tools like the WHO ASSIST, resulting in limited understanding of how risks differ across various regions and social contexts.

To mitigate these risks, researchers recommended enhancing regulatory measures to limit adolescents' access to addictive substances, improving media literacy to combat harmful digital exposure, and expanding peer-led initiatives such as the Community Based Peer-Led Intervention (CPLI) under the School Health Programme to prevent substance use among schoolchildren.