Vol. 5, Issue 9, Part E (2019)

Abstract
The recent outbreak of the problem of drug addiction has been recognized as one of the most menacing problems in the developing and the developed countries. India is also affected by the problem of drug abuse. The issue of drug abuse is no longer limited to small part of the population but has hit the people from all walks of life. The poor people use it to escape from the awful realities of the life, and the rich people use these drugs as an extension of the western culture. The problem of drug addiction has spread its tentacles in the society at an alarming pace and is destroying the very youth of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The labour class including farmers are also taking drugs from past few years in different regions of Punjab. The most widely used drug in the Punjab by farmers is synthetic drug called Chitta and poppy husk. There are some social, economic and political element that have also contributed to the spread of drug addiction problem in the youth of Punjab. In this study 100 farmers of selected from 10 villages were taken as the sample of the study. As per the questionnaire developed in consultation with the supervisor (Drug abuse analysis questionnaire, DAAQ) responses collected from the addicted farmers were analyzed. The findings of the study revealed that most common drug used by the farmers of Punjab was Chitta, Heroine, poppy husk and post followed by other natural drugs and there was a great impact of drug abuse on families of drug addicted farmers. Drug addicted farmers have completely neglected their families and have sold their household items and jewellery items of their spouses for the purchase of drugs and there was a widespread problem of broken homes and divorces. The farmers have even mortgaged or sold their land at throw away prices and some of them have even committed suicide because of this menacing problem of drug addiction.