PUBLIC AWARENESS ON DRUG PROBLEMS AMONG YOUTHS IN THE SELECTED TOWNSHIPS IN KACHIN STATE (Case Study: Myitkyina, Moe Gaung, and Mohnyin Townships)

Drug abuse plays a role in many major social problems, such as drugged driving, violence, stress, and child abuse. Risk of drug use increases greatly during times of transition. This study aims to assess the public awareness on drug-related problems and identify the risk factors among youths in Myitkyina, Mohnyin, and Moe Gaung of Kachin State using a descriptive method through in-person survey. A small-scale survey involved 240 participants from three township using a mix of stratified and quota sampling to ensure that the results reflected the different demographic groups. Although the problem of increasing drug use particularly in Kachin State, the communities are poorly equipped to respond to it. This is due to a lack of government and international donor support and funding for drug issues. This lack of funding has also been reflected in the lack of large-scale government-run or supported anti-drug campaigns in Kachin State. These factors have resulted in a situation where services for drug users tend to be highly localized, piecemeal, and ineffective. This study attempts to highlight the public consciousness, the needs of rehabilitation, and prevention services for a long-term effect on the number of youth drug users