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Addiction Therapy 2016
October 03-05, 2016
Volume 7, Issue 5(Suppl)
J Addict Res Ther
ISSN:2155-6105 JART, an open access journal
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October 03-05, 2016 Atlanta, USA
5
th
International Conference and Exhibition on
Addiction Research & Therapy
Himanshu K Chaturvedi, J Addict Res Ther 2016, 7:5(Suppl)
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-6105.C1.027Traditional use of opium and its impact on other neighbouring community
Himanshu K Chaturvedi
National Institute of Medical Statistics, India
Background:
The traditional knowledge and belief about the sanctity and medicinal properties of opium has been continued
in many parts of India especially among tribal communities. Traditional usage of opium has been recorded among the tribal
community of Northeast India especially in Arunachal Pradesh. The study investigates the possible social interaction of local
tribal community with others living together in the same village for livelihood and its influence on increasing opium usage
among the non-traditional users.
Methodology:
Data collected on opium use in a study conducted in tribal dominated area of Arunachal Pradesh has been used
to understand the impact of social interaction on increasing opium use. Of the sample of 65 villages and 4247 respondents (age
15 years & above) selected randomly, opium users were recorded only in 39 villages (2543 respondents). Of which 7 villages
has mixed population of tribes (local) and non-tribes (others); 31 villages has population of only tribes; and one village has
only non-tribal population.
Results:
Overall, prevalence of opium users among the respondents of 39 villages was 9.3%, but the prevalence in mixed type of
villages was 14% (14.4% among local tribes and 12.0% among others) whereas it was comparatively low among the respondents
of sample of villages mainly recorded as tribal villages (8.3%) and non-tribal villages (1.4%). The high prevalence of opium use
among the tribes was mainly due to traditional belief and practices which has been discussed. However, the increasing opium
use among the non-tribal community was mainly due to close social interaction with neighbouring community as they were
living together in the same village.
Conclusion:
Traditional use of opium among the tribes was the main cause of increasing opium usage among the neighbouring
(non-tribal) community especially due to close social interaction. The findings may be useful for institution of epidemiological
intervention to reduce opium use.
Biography
Himanshu K. Chaturvedi completed his
M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Statistics from TM Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, INDIA. Dr. Chaturvedi has received many
honour and awards. He is a distinguished senior level Scientist at National Institute of Medical Statistics of ICMR, New Delhi, India and Ph.D. Supervisor in Medical
Statistics of GGSIP University, New Delhi. He served as a PI/Co-PI of many National Level projects and also as a member of many scientific committees. The area
of his research work is epidemiological studies of harmful substance usage, risk factors of non-communicable disease, estimation of disease burden and health
seeking behaviour of people. Besides that many training workshops on statistical methods, clinical and epidemiological research has been organized by him. He
has published more than 40 papers in peer reviewed national and international journals.
chaturvedi_icmr@yahoo.com