Profile of drug users in Karachi city, Pakistan

Drug use has been identified as a major public health issue in Pakistan. A descriptive questionnaire survey in Karachi city was made to identify the socioeconomic profile and beliefs and practices of 500 drug users. The most commonly used drugs were cocaine (19.0%) and crack-cocaine (15.0%), followed by amphetamines (11.0%), alcohol, caffeine, barbiturates and benzodiazepines (10.0% each). Key psychological factors leading to drug use were problems with parental or marital relations or break-up of a relationship (45.0%). Drugs were seen as an escape from stressful life events (28.0%) or feelings of failure (18.2%). Many drug users blamed the origins of their drug use on bad social influences (47.0%) or socioeconomic problems (23.4%). Preventive measures are needed to decrease the rate of drug addiction in Karachi.