Community support plays a key role in fighting against drug menace

Hans India

a day ago

Visakhapatnam: It was just the second day of her college when Neha (name changed) was offered to snort a powder by her friend and encouraged to check how it feels like. 'As I was told that there's no harm in trying once, I agreed,' Neha confesses.
After that, the engineering student could not resist whenever she was offered to snort as she looks forward to it almost daily. 'When my pocket money gets exhausted, I resort to stealing from my dad's wallet,' Neha confesses with a tinge of guilt and helplessness. Although she desperately wants to stay away from drugs, she is unable to do so due to lack of support system to fall upon.
At a time when drugs are easily accessible in every nook and corner of Visakhapatnam, how important is it to stick together as a community and battle as an extended family against growing drug menace?
As educating students on the drug issue impacting their health, family and social life gains larger significance than ever, its easy accessibility demands effective prevention strategies and enhanced monitoring mechanisms.
Unfortunately, it's not just college students who have easy access to drugs. Those studying in schools too are equally vulnerable. Six months back, when two Class VIII students studying in a Zilla Parishad High School got into a violent tiff, the school Principal had to intervene to calm them down. 'I had my own doubts as they were too unruly and abusive for their age. It was only later when I randomly checked their school bags, my doubts got confirmed. They carried drugs along with books. When students belonging to economically weaker sections could access drugs, imagine the plight of those who are from well-to-do families,' the Principal shares with The Hans India on condition of anonymity. Both the boys underwent counselling for a long period with the support of their parents.
When both parents work, keeping a tab on the wards' altering behaviour becomes all the more tough. 'I hardly stay at home, while my wife works in a corporate school. When we realised that our son lost his appetite and looked energy-sapped most of the time, it was already late. We had to hospitalise him for a while before shifting to a deaddiction centre. His academic life has gone for a toss because of drug abuse,' laments the father of another student.
Emphasising that building awareness among public, youth in particular, should step beyond special occasions such as 'International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking', Visakhapatnam-based substance abuse programme consultant V Surya Prakash Rao, says, 'Intense community-driven programmes should be part of the academic journey at the campuses. Given the magnitude of ganja menace at the moment, community participation in curbing drug menace is essential. As there are several cases that remain unreported for various reasons, intense awareness drives organised at frequent intervals aid in sensitising larger sections of students and nudging them to say 'no' to drugs in the first place itself.'
The substance abuse programme consultant opines that school managements should come forward to allot quality time for the community-driven awareness programmes at the campus as the onus to fight against a concerning rise in drug abuse among youngsters lies on parents, teachers and peers.
As part of a month-long Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan's campaign, a mass pledge against drug abuse is scheduled in Visakhapatnam on August 13 (Wednesday). Flash mobs, circulation of reels on social media platforms, administration of e-pledge, organisation of seminars and webinars, formation of human chain and plantation programmes form a part of the month-long drive that continues till August 31.