Families of the Drug Addicts: An Invisible Vulnerable Group in India

Drug abuse is one of the most serious challenges across the world in recent times. An estimated 271 million people of the global population aged 15-64 had used drugs in the year 2016 while 35 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders. India being between the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle, both corners of India are victims of massive drug imports, while the state of Punjab being on the North-Western corner is the most affected. This problem has taken a different shape over the years in Punjab affecting most of the youth population, which in itself a serious issue. Drug addiction does not affect only to the addict. It creates a vicious circle of impoverishment in the family of the addict. It specifically affects the women in the household. The addiction of the husband makes wife more vulnerable-economically, socially as well as psychologically. Therefore, it becomes important to study the impact of drug addiction on the families of the addicts in specific. The paper will endeavor to analyze the socio-cultural, psychological, and economic impacts of drug addiction on the families of the addicts and will assess the various challenges faced by the women in the treatment and rehabilitation of their spouses.