Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Drug-related HIV/AIDS a cause for concern

There is a silent link between drugs and HIV/AIDS. Several cases of HIV in India are drug driven. But, not many people are aware of this connection, said Suruchi Pant, Project Co-ordinator, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). On her recent visit to Coimbatore to participate in a workshop on drug-related HIV/AIDS organised by UNODC for outreach workers, she spoke to Anasuya Menon on the growing number of young drug users in the country and the need to evolve an education system that emphasises prevention of drug abuse among children.

"Drugs or alcohol can alter the thought process of a person. It may lead them to unsafe sexual practices, through which they may contract HIV infection," she points out. Among the five South Asian countries where the UNODC operates, the link between drugs and HIV is more prominent in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. "These countries need more of intervention programmes than Sri Lanka or the Maldives where prevention is the need of the hour. In India, a balance needs to be struck between prevention and intervention programmes."

Though there is a lot of talk about HIV/AIDS in India, the disease still has a lot of myths surrounding it, which needs to be dispelled, she asserts. "In some villages, there is a belief that sexual intercourse with a virgin could cure one of venereal diseases. This country is culturally very sensitive; but such beliefs should not be passed on to the new generation." Street children are the most vulnerable to drug-related HIV/AIDS. "They are exposed to sexual abuse as their negotiation skills are very poor," she laments. In addition to using ganja (cannabis) and tobacco, they sometimes sniff addictive solutions. "They should be prevented from moving on to using more powerful drugs, to check the spread of HIV."

The number of intravenous drug users too has been on the rise in India, especially in cities such as New Delhi and Chennai, according to the world drug report. "The urban youth too fall prey to drugs. The use of "club drugs" is high among them." While stress and loneliness are the reasons why more and more youngsters seek solace in drugs, peer pressure is an important factor. "The youth feel it is `cool' to do drugs. `I do drugs and I am fine,' has become sort of a refrain among them. A change in this attitude is possible only if a conscious change is brought about in the education system," she says. "By constantly educating children on the harmful effects of drug addiction, right through their school life, we can prevent youngsters from drugs."

Suruchi Pant

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