Overview
Recent national-level studies indicate evolving patterns of stimulant use across urban and peri-urban populations in Bangladesh. The research draws on large-scale quantitative surveys, administrative datasets from treatment centres, and qualitative interviews conducted across six divisions. Findings point to significant shifts in substance type, demographic profile of users, and geographic distribution of drug-related harm — all of which have direct consequences for existing prevention and treatment infrastructure.
Key Findings
- Increase in stimulant use among urban youth populations aged 18–30
- Regional disparities in access to treatment and harm reduction services
- Systematic underreporting in administrative datasets due to stigma and legal risk
- Strong correlation between youth unemployment and relapse rates
- Low awareness of evidence-based treatment pathways among frontline health workers
- Limited integration between drug use data systems and national health information infrastructure
Implications for Policy & Practice
- 1
Strengthen national monitoring systems with standardised data collection protocols across agencies.
- 2
Expand targeted harm reduction services in urban and peri-urban clusters identified as high-burden.
- 3
Improve data integration across health, law enforcement, and social protection agencies to enable evidence-based targeting.
- 4
Invest in training frontline workers on evidence-based treatment referral pathways.
Methodological Note
Technical Note
Mixed-methods approach combining household-level survey data from six divisional sites (n=4,800), administrative records from government and NGO treatment facilities, and in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants including service providers and community representatives. Data collection was conducted between Q1–Q3 2023 with ethical approval from the relevant national ethics committee.