Kohima, July 31 (MExN): The ARK Foundation, Kohima with support from the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Nagaland and in joint collaboration with St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Jakhama conducted two webinars.
Webinar on “workshop on substance abuse and prevention” and “substance abuse, its harmful effects and prevention” was held with teachers and students of SJC respectively. It was moderated by Ketho Angami, President, ARK Foundation.
Dr Fr Sebastian Ousepparampil, Principal, and Dr Fr George Keduolhou Angami, Vice-Principal, SJC delivered opening remarks in the two sessions.
“Addiction in Nagaland is a deep concern,” Dr Fr Sebastian mentioned and acknowledged that “drug addiction is still prevailing among the young population even today. It is deep inside our homes, our cultures.”
It also mentioned that a newspaper survey report also showed 15-75 age groups of people are into alcohol and drugs in Nagaland and Manipur. While female population comprised of 5.2%, drug related school drop was 72.8 %, which was mostly among the unemployed group of population. Heroin use was rampant with almost 80% using heroin on a regular basis.
Dr Fr George in his remarks mentioned that substance use results in negative impacts on the academics, physical, mental, peer-groups, family and social consequences that can also lead to delinquencies. He called upon the students to be ambassadors to deter friends from getting introduced into habits of substance use.
Ketho Angami, the resource persons in his presentation defined substance use as “any substance when taken in turn modifies the person’s well being”.
He shared that addiction in the state has resulted in loss of lives, and chaos in the society. “That is because of addiction, there is decrease in productivity, increase in school and college drop outs, loss of economy and the family is not at harmony because of the presence of a substance user with the family households.”
Ketho also expressed grave concern on the emerging trend of people getting introduced to a drug called Yaba (WY- World is yours).
Its consumption has been reported among the youth populations and also some who are already dependent into drugs. This is of great concern, since Yaba as a stimulant group of drugs is another form of drugs which is very lethal even in itself, he stated.
Another concern is also the rampant use of pharmaceutical drugs in the form of cough syrup.
Further, he shared about the harmful effects of drug use, which are prominently on aspects like loss of interest in studies and other avenues, school and college drop outs, financial drainage, premature deaths, HIV,HBV,HCV, broken relationship, lack of trust, legal harms, loss of jobs, and lack of productivity etc. he also spoke on the management and prevention perspective.
Gwabinlo Seb, Secretary, ARK foundation shared about his experience with substance use for more than a decade and his journey from addiction to recovery.
This was followed by a round of question and answers session.
