Scaling a Film-Based Curriculum to Prevent Drug Use among Youth in Punjab

Policy Context

Drug use is common in Punjab, with some sources estimating that up to 3% of the population uses opioids. Drug use is even higher among young people, particularly young men. According to some estimates, as many as 15% of men aged 18 to 35 use opioids (2015 Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey).

Many factors contribute to drug use, including supply-side factors such as the ease of obtaining drugs, and demand-side factors such as social pressure, mental health challenges, or stressful life events. Among youth, peer pressure could play a role, as could lack of information about the risks of drug use and addiction. Earlier research shows that young people tend to systematically underestimate the risks of addiction following drug experimentation, overestimate their ability to overcome addiction with willpower alone, and underestimate what it takes to recover from addiction. These mistaken beliefs could contribute to young people’s decisions to experiment with harmful and addictive drugs.

Study Design

This study evaluates the at-scale implementation of a novel video-based drug prevention program in over 3,600 government secondary schools in Punjab, India during the 2025-2026 academic year. The program centers around high-quality documentary videos that feature individuals recovering from addiction sharing their experiences with drugs in an honest and relatable way. The program is designed to target the mistaken beliefs that may lead youth to underestimate the risks associated with drug use – particularly heroin – and instead equip them with the information and tools to make good decisions around drug use.

A randomized evaluation of the program with nearly 10,000 students showed that the drug prevention program effectively shifted beliefs about the risks of heroin. Students randomly assigned to participate in the program were 30% more likely to believe that heroin is highly addictive, and nearly 50% less likely to believe that overcoming addiction is a matter of willpower alone.

The present study will evaluate the efficacy of the drug prevention program implemented at scale on beliefs about drug use and on academic performance. Researchers will evaluate the program using a difference in differences strategy, comparing board exam scores among students in cohorts that did or did not participate in the program, across governmental schools (where the program was implemented) and private schools (where it was not).

Results and Policy Lessons

Results forthcoming. Results from this evaluation will inform the government’s decision about formally integrating the drug prevention program into the secondary school curriculum.