Dr Abhishek Chowhan
The drug abuse is a multidimensional problem which not only erodes the health status but also personal, familial, marital and social life of an individual. In the past it has largely been able to spread its tentacles in the affluent societies largely concentrated in and around big cities. However, of late, in a matter of last few years, it has shown its presence in our city of temples and in almost all socioeconomic strata. This is alarming as the drugs which have been introduced are some of the very potent substance of addiction which is consuming our younger generation as our population is naive to such substances of abuse. With the international day on drug abuse and illicit trafficking approaching on 26th of June it is essential that we analyze the factors that has lead to the rising incidence of drug abuse, particularly in Jammu.
International day against drug abuse
The Jammu has long been a culturally and socially well knit society with traditions and family values well engrossed within it. With the advent of urbanization, industrialization and consequent westernization, this fabric has begun to loosen. With families now not able to dedicate proper time to their children, the emotional needs of the children are not getting fulfilled. With the emotional buffer of the family gone the younger lot finds ways to cope up with this growing distress and some fall trap to the demon of drug abuse. It has been observed that when the teens are unhappy and can’t find a healthy outlet for their frustration or trusted confidant, they may turn to chemicals for solace. Moreover the lack of parental supervision and poor involvement of parents in child’s activities leads to poor attachment between parents and children. Thus children can easily dissociate from parental and familial values and fall prey to drug abuse. In addition to this, research has found parental substance abuse, un-employment in family, parental discord, financial problems in family all contributing to drug abuse. Due to the hectic lifestyle of today such problems are increasing in our society.
Availability is another important factor for the rise in drug abuse in any particular society. Take for example alcohol and tobacco, their usage is a problem in only those societies where it is easily available and culturally sanctioned. Same is the case of, let’s say, cocaine in some Latin American countries and crude opium in some parts of India. Availability of any drug has two prongs, one legal and other illegal. A particular drug use which is rising in Jammu is that of heroin and smack. These are highly illegal substances and are classified as hard drugs. Although trafficking or production of hard drugs is sternly punishable by law, but still their use is growing rampantly in Jammu because of easy availability in last few months. Why? The reasons could be administrative or socio-political. There is however one another important reason for this surge in availability of such hard substances which is focused around demand and supply. With more and more ‘students’ going out of state for education, some of them come back hooked to such substances thus creating a demand in our hitherto naive society. I am sure administration will soon sense the out of control situation and try to make the mends before the situation grows out of proportion. They will have to take measures to break this cycle of demand and supply by controlling the availability of such drugs in society.
Furthermore, the role of popular media cannot be ruled out. In a study, 47 percent of teens agreed that movies and TV shows make drugs seem an OK thing to do. This scenario has to change through aggressive media portrayal of drug use as a thing not to experiment with. In India, even though a lot of restrictions are on popular media regarding portrayal of drug related scenes but still internet can be a ready reference for those who have the access and want to see such media movies. Peer pressure is another important factor in substance use. Using drugs allows these young people to fit in with their peers and blend in with the crowd, and it might also give teens something to do when the days grow long and they’re tired of their televisions, computers and video games. With one friend in a peer group using a substance others are highly likely to experiment with the substance. Depending upon the hardness of the substance some of them may get dependent on that substance.
Rising stress among youngsters in Jammu due to increased competition in studies and various other factors is also another very significant factor. A recent study showed that 73 percent of teens report the number-one reason for using drugs is to deal with the pressures and stress of school. Surprisingly, only 7 percent of parents believe that teens might use drugs to cope with stress, showing parents severely underestimate the impact of stress on their teens’ decision to use drugs. The teen years are rough, and many teens who are unhappy don’t know how to find a healthy outlet for their frustration. These pent up emotions can take an emotional toll and can even lead to depression or anxiety. A 2009 study reported an estimated 70 percent of teens suffer from undiagnosed clinical depression at some point in their life. Many teens are unaware that they have an underlying mental or mood disorder that is causing them to use illegal drugs to self-medicate and cope with their symptoms.
Since such hard substances are relatively new entrants in our city, our teens are not adequately informed or sometimes misinformed about dangers of such drugs. Many teens, 41 percent to be exact, mistakenly believe that it’s safer to try heroin once or twice. Research consistently shows that kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs than kids who do not learn about the dangers of drugs at home. Unfortunately, only 32 percent of teens report that they are getting this vital message from their parents.
Now that we have analyzed that the problem has started due to the above factors it is our responsibility to prevent it from getting any taller. It has to be the collective responsibility of whole society to prevent our children from falling into the depths of this gruesome problem. At home, if you’re the parent of a pre-teen or adolescent, talk to him or her today about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Don’t lecture. Don’t condescend. Don’t be dramatic. Just talk – openly and directly. Do everything you can, today and going forward, to keep the doors of communication as wide open as possible, so that tomorrow, or next week, or next year your child will know that he or she can talk to you, confide in you, and ask you questions about alcohol or drugs. Hopefully, by doing so, your teen can avoid the dangerous landmines that devastate and destroy the lives of so many young people. If your teen is already abusing alcohol or drugs, don’t hesitate to seek help. Contact an addiction specialist or local alcohol and drug treatment facility for guidance in confronting the problem, and to determine the best options for treatment. Make that call today, because tomorrow may be too late. Likewise, the media has to play an increasingly important role in public health campaigns due to their wide reach and ability to influence behavior. There is significant evidence that carefully planned mass media campaigns can reduce substance abuse by countering false perceptions that drug use is normative and influencing personal beliefs that motivate drug use. Schools should adopt effective drug and violence policies, preventive programs, annual safety and drug use report cards, links to after school programs, and efforts to involve parents. Administration should also gear up with strict law enforcement and aggressive policing as well as additional collaboration among police, prosecutors, judges and their counterparts in the prevention field to make happen a drug free society.
(The author is MD Consultant Psychiatrist, GMC Jammu)
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