RISK-FACTORS FOR DRUG-ABUSE IN PAKISTAN - A REPLICATION

While a number of risk factors have been identified for drug abuse in the United States, little evidence is available about such factors in some other countries. Among these latter is Pakistan, a nation in whic h heroin addiction is a major problem. The present study was done to e xamine those psychosocial characteristics which differentiated 60 hero in addicts from 60 nondrug-using controls in Pakistan. Most of the dru g-abuse factors identified earlier were significant in Pakistan as wel l. Applying cut-off scores previously established for each of 9 variab les, the relationship between drug status and number of factors at ris k was also examined. Over 98% of the addicts were at risk for five or more factors; only 15% of controls were at risk for 5 variables and no ne exceeded 5. Precursors for abuse appear to cut across cultural line s. The high-risk individual in Pakistan, as in the United States, is o ne with ready access to drugs and the social inducements to use them w hile lacking bonds with societal institutions or value systems which m ight mitigate against drug use. Because several of the risk factors re present deep and long-standing aspects of the addict's personality, bo th prevention and treatment confront formidable difficulties.