Pharmaceutical drug abuse is increasing in India, a trend the United Nations says will raise the risk of diseases like HIV/AIDS, the Indo-Asian News Service reported Tuesday.

"Many youngsters as young as 18-20 years start using pharmaceutical drugs. Injecting drugs inside the body is very common in India," said Ashita Mittal, senior program officer in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (South Asia).

"Injecting pharmaceutical drugs is escalating in the region. A survey by us has found that injectable drug users (IDUs) are prone to diseases like HIV/AIDS," Mittal said.

She said a fresh UNODC study with a sample size of 5,800 drug users in India has found that over 25 percent are using pharmaceuticals like buprenorphine and 30 percent have injected proxyphene at least once in their addiction career.

The study also found that at least 28 percent of the drug users have injected heroin at least once in their life and 62 percent are users of pharmaceutical drugs.

"The trend of pharmaceutical abuse is increasing as youngsters think that purchasing them from a chemist's counter is easier, less costly," Mittal said.

She said though there are laws to regulate pharmaceuticals production and sale, "there is a greater need for monitoring the compliance of law".

She said to control the problem, "it requires a nationwide awareness campaign, strict vigilance and community involvement".

She said besides India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan too are battling the growing menace of pharmaceutical abuse.

June 26 is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2008)