The Indian society and govt at large tends to view drugs more as a crime rather than a psychological problem; more than laws banning drugs what we need is more awareness creation to pick it up early and hence be able to intervene early. While this problem has reached epidemic proportions amongst street children; national statistics by AIIMS suggest that 60-80% minors had started tobacco or alcohol, with an average starting age for these substances being as early as 12 years.
Often adolescents start with easily accessible items like correction fluid thinner,cough syrup, pain relief ointments, glue, paint, petrol and cleaning fluids and rapidly progress to include other illicit substances. What can you do, then as a parent when you catch your child taking any of these substances? Most parents are unable to accept that this is a serious disorder and not just their child disobeying them/being rebellious.There’s almost always a delay in approaching treatment because of ignorance and denial, and few people come forward for counselling or medication even when their children begin to skip school, indulge in theft, etc. But just because the parents shy away from talking about it or understanding it doesn’t mean the problem gets corrected. Just like parents tiptoe around the topic of child sexual abuse and it continues to remains rampant; many teenagers who begin with experimentation end up as addicts.
Intervention must be focused at an individual level on the vulnerabilities that make children take up such substances. And this includes the schools responsibility as well. Not only does the school serve as a breeding ground for all manner of drugs but it is frequently first picked up by the counsellor or teachers. But instead of addressing the issue wholistically, the schools tend to wash their hands off the problem by expelling the youngster which only worsens everything.Although these trends may increase intermittently; the problem of drug abuse has been a constantly increasing one. If parents and schools don’t start talking to their kids, how can they expect their kids cope with ever increasing stressors. After all it is widely understood that addiction is a form of self-medication to cope. The United nations theme for International Day Against Drug Abuse on 26th June 2018 highlights this need. "Listen First - Listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe."