The Global Drugs Survey, a survey of recreational drug use for the first time polled respondents from India, has found that more than any other nationalities, Indians are seeking help to reduce their alcohol intake which reflects an awareness of abuse.
The survey says:
Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis were the most common stimulants used by Indians.
Of the nearly 1,00,000 respondents from 30 countries, Indians reported being drunk on an average of 41 times in the last 12 months, behind the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Denmark in that order but well above the global average of 33 times.
About 6% of the female Indians surveyed reported seeking emergency medical treatment in the last 12 months. The global female average was about 13%.
The Indians surveyed were mostly male and 25-34 years of age.
Global Drug Survey (GDS):
GDS is an anonymised, online survey that uses a detailed questionnaire to assess trends in drug use and self-reported harms among regular drug users and early adopters of new trends.
It is based in London, United Kingdom (UK).
It runs the largest global survey on recreational drug use.
The survey is not designed to determine the prevalence of drug behavior in a population but to bring out stigmatized behaviours and health outcomes of a hidden population that is otherwise difficult to reach and can be used to inform targeted interventions.