A CASE STUDY ON DRUG ADDICTION AMONG THE MIZO YOUTH

Abstract

Over the past decade, Mizoram has been witnessing a significant increase in the number of drug users and more importantly the number of HIV infection because of drug use in its communities. The drug addiction in Mizoram has increased unexpectedly, especially among the teenage or school students. There is an assumption that a drastic increase in the addiction has a connection with the media. Especially the Korean serials have shown fair and thin look actors and actresses causing the Mizo youth wanted to have a fair skin like those people in the Television. So, they started to use any kind of drugs which was believed as skin lightener as well as beautiful body image. So this study will explore the status of drug addiction in Mizoram and also the reasons for drug addiction in Mizoram. The researcher adopted case study method to examine the status of drug addiction and the reasons for the addiction in Mizoram. A case study on drug users was conducted through personal in-depth interview and observation. The result reveals that media was also one of the main reasons for this problem. Among the media, Korean movies through television have largely influenced the youth to take drugs as they show beautiful body of actors and actresses with a fair and fresh skin. That makes the youth wanted to have those fair skin and beautiful body. So, they do whatever they can to make their body look more improve towards what they think beautiful body is. As some of the youth started using some particular drugs for making their body thin and fair and suggested to other friends makes the use of drugs for perfecting body becomes popular among the Mizo youth