N. Longshio Yanthan
Shalom Rehab, Chumukedima
“A stitch in time saves nine” This is true even in the case of drug abuse. Experts on this problem are of the opinion that the abuse of drugs is spreading rapidly and it has reached to an alarming rate that even the children at a very young age are experimenting with it. The fast spread of drug abuse can be attributed to various factors, including lack of credible information about long term and short term consequences of drug abuse, influence of peers, curiosity, increasing availability of chemicals, broken families, personal problems like tension, difficulty in coping with the uncertain situation at home and in the community etc, limited law enforcement activities with insufficient deterrents, and lack of awareness of the various aspects of the problem and so on..
Most of the drug users begin taking drugs at an early age, as adolescents. Taking drugs while the body is still forming interrupts the normal maturing process and it adds to the dangers posed to the user as an adult. Since schools are concerned with full development of children, including their moral and intellectual well-being, they must also be concerned with the abuse of drugs, both in and outside of the schools. Students often buy and take drugs on school premises, lending credibility to the myth perpetuated by drug users that “Everybody’s doing it”. The influence of peer pressure cannot be underestimated in this regard.
When one member of a family abuses drugs - be it a parent, child, or other relative - it causes disruption and disharmony within the family and every family members suffer. Parents often cannot face the fact that their children take drugs, or attribute their deviant behavior to something the parents did or did not do in bringing up the child. Shame and embarrassment far too often prevents them from acknowledging their child’s drug problem or fail to confront the problem and they cannot help the child find the courage and the appropriate means to stop taking drugs.
Now parents are also anxious about the manifold increase in the abuse of drug among the youth. On one extreme many parents fear that their child might be taking drugs when in fact he or she is completely innocent. On the other extreme some parents are so busy in their social and professional work that they don’t care although there are several changes in their child’s behaviors which warrants attention. Moreover most parents are also over confident that their children will never take drugs. It is such a sensitive, delicate and complicated matter that many innocent children with good character are also caught up in the vicious circle of drugs.
An addict rationalize their dependence on drugs by saying that drug give them a heavenly experience. It is the greatest myth because within few weeks they start experiencing the suffering of ‘hell’. The psychological effects experienced by an addict, if the drug is not consumed for 12 hours, are so painful that there can’t be any hell worse than that. Most drug addicts find it difficult to withstand the turkey and hence for keeping themselves comfortable they continue to take drugs not for any pleasurable feelings but in order to avoid the withdrawal effects. Drug addiction has got different stages; therefore it is far better to intervene in the early stages.
These are some of the points which will help in identifying a drug addict.
Demand more money: All of a sudden the child will start demanding much more pocket money without any reason. Day by day the demand may keep on increasing, because the drugs are quite expensive and day by day the amount of the drug required keep on increasing. He or she may sell his or her personal valuables to buy the drugs.
Spends more time in the toilet: There can be other causes of spending more time in the toilet but this is also an important point to be noted. He or she may spend more time in the toilet so as to take drugs in the toilet.
Unused tobacco is found: For Brown sugar addicts a very important point is that unused tobacco is found in the toilet or else where. This is because normally some tobacco from cigarette is taken out and it is replaced with brown sugar. Come home late: An addict regularly comes home very late. When he or she comes home usually he or she feels sleepy and without taking his or her meals he or she may go to sleep.
Physical and behavioral changes: Opiates and opiods addict grows physically weak. He or she becomes indifferent towards his or her dress and personal cleanliness. In his or her behavior he or she may become more lethargic and short tempered. Slurred speech, sweating, loss of appetite, redness of eye, unsteady gait, sudden weight loss, fresh injection marks on the hands, burn marks on their nails and figures, uses dark glasses to cover the redness of the eye, uses long sleeved shirt to cover the pock marks on the arm, withdrawal syndrome: (Vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle etc)
Pinpoint pupil: Opium base drug reduce the size of the pupil of the eyes. Hence the pupils of a drug addict are very small and they cannot respond when light is suddenly flashed on it.
At home: Comes with new friends, and is unwilling to tell who the friends are, keeping aloof and does not talk much. Goes to bed late and gets up very late, starts disappearing from the house (theft) refuses to go for religious services etc.
At school/college: Poor attendance, sudden decline in academic performances, sleepy in the class, irritable and quarrelsome, asks for leave during class hour.
Other changes: Emotional instability, loss of control over ones emotions, restlessness, tired and dropping eyes, unhygienic habits like not brushing teeth, combing hair etc. and makes promises only to please others.
Seek Doctors’ opinion: Remember that the above mentioned one or more symptoms can be found in non-addicts. Therefore, one should not make a mistake of telling the child that he or she is a drug addict because some of these symptoms are seen. The best ways is to consult a doctor, preferably, a psychiatrist who will be in the best position to find out the cause of the various symptoms. Even after the final diagnosis is made one need a lot of patience and a systematic approach to help him or her to come out of the addiction.
The problem of drug abuse is multi-faceted and therefore requires a prevention programme that is multipronged and supported by different social groups or organizations in the society. The long-term solution to the problem of drug abuse does not rest with law enforcement and treatment and rehabilitation alone.
Effective drug preventive education is an important component requiring a broad range of activities involving all segment or group in the society.
