The incidence of drug abuse among children and adolescents is higher than the general population. This is notably because youth is a time for experimentation and identity forming. Many street children use cheap drugs to cope with the daily cycles of sexual, physical and mental abuse or as recreation to escape a life of poverty. Heroin, Opium, Alcohol, Cannabis and Propoxyphene are the five most common drugs being abused by children in India. Children affected by substance abuse are considered as children in need of care and protection under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
