Combating substance abuse
ANITA RAO
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The desire for instant gratification and high income constitute an explosive combination
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Substance abuse is a global problem today. This poses a threat to all as it affects the physical, psychological, behavioural and social functioning of the individual and in turn, that of society.
Substances commonly abused include tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, cough syrup, ecstasy and other sedatives.
Abuse of alcohol, cannabis and brown sugar (heroin) seems to be rampant among the lower socio-economic group. The richer class seems to be abusing substances such as cocaine, ecstasy and designer drugs.
Curiosity factor
Alcohol and drug use invariably starts as a casual act kindled by curiosity, peer pressure or the need to prove one’s willingness to ‘belong’ to a group. What starts off casually very often results in psychological and physical dependence on drugs.
The risk-taking attitude of the younger generation and their high incomes are two of the primary reasons for the increasing problem of substance abuse. Most of the young people employed in the newly created jobs often earn substantially higher incomes than their parents.
This leads to a decreased control/influence of parents. The desire for instant gratification and high income constitute an explosive combination.
The attitude of society towards alcohol use also has changed. We have become more ‘liberal’ over the years. Illegal drugs such as cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy are also available depending on the amount of money a person is prepared to spend. From being a problem of a select few of the higher income groups, drugs have slowly permeated into every segment of society. As it stands now, no child is safe in this world where prevalence of alcohol and drug use is steadily increasing.
While any youngster is at risk, certain factors place him/her in the high risk group. The general trend would be to experiment with tobacco, then alcohol followed by other drugs like cannabis and heroin.
A childhood history of behavioural problems such as truancy, lying, stealing, rebellious nature, and poor socialisation skills makes a person more prone to drug use. Poor academic performance, disciplinary problems, low self-esteem and a feeling of alienation may indicate that the person has a problem. Because of greater susceptibility to peer influence when friends have a favourable attitude towards drug-taking, the chance of use is higher.
The use of drugs affects a person in all possible ways, damaging every facet of his life. There is a change in the physical appearance — he develops a haggard, dull, apathetic look. The problem is compounded by loss of appetite, loss of weight, chronic cough, unexplained needle marks and poor physical hygiene. The youngster loses interest in his personal appearance and all goal oriented activities are forgotten. Interest centres only on his drug taking activities.
There is deterioration in the value system. Lying and stealing become more evident. Family relationships break down as there is little communication with others — the person prefers to spend time alone. Irritability increases with temper outbursts and rapid mood swings.
Prevention
If youngsters reach adulthood without using drugs, they will probably never develop a substance abuse problem. We need to do the following:
Educate and enable youngsters to reject legal and illegal drugs.
* Every teacher be educated on the signs and symptoms of drug addiction or any other behavioural problems.
* Every educational institute appoint a student counsellor (who will be a trained social worker) to identify behavioural problems and refer such youngsters and their parents to professionals skilled to handle these.
* Parents should become observant of early warning signals like drop in school grades, mood swings, frequent diarrhoea, unusual objects found while cleaning the rooms, telephone calls (or sneaking out) at odd hours, etc.
If we start this process, we should be able to identify youngsters with problems at a very early stage and provide help. The entire society has to play a role in making the world a safer place for mankind. The responsibility to make this a reality lies with each one of us.
(The writer is Director, Medical Services, TTK Hospital, Chennai)
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