THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is common knowledge that drug abuse is increasing in the state. But what is alarming is that school and college girls are also getting trapped into drug trafficking and abuse. Students, youngsters and migrant workers are the potential targets of the drug traffickers. While low-priced commodities like ganja are widely used among students and migrants, costly synthetic drugs like ecstasy, methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) and LSD are preferred by the rich. More worrying is the abuse of prescription drugs like nitrazepam as well as other crude items like whitener and petrol. From 2,985 cases of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) in 2016 to 5,946 in 2017, the number of drug trafficking cases registered in the state has gone up over the last few years. Even as the excise and police claim to have stepped up enforcement activities, the drug traffickers thrive as the demand for the drugs and other narcotic substances remains unabated. DC focuses on the factors that facilitate the growth of drug trafficking that calls for urgent action.
LACK OF AWARENESS OF CONSEQUENECES
Most students who became addicted to drugs were found to have made the first move out of curiosity. Lack of awareness about the health consequences of drug use was one major driving factor. "Many students addicted to drugs say that while they use drugs for the first time, they felt that they have the will power not to be addicts. But later they could not retract," said deputy excise commissioner K. Chandra Palan. A large number of the victims are around the age of 15. Many take the health warnings against drugs lightly. "We have been carrying out a series of awareness activities in educational institutions to sensitise students by presenting specific cases," said Mr. Chandra Palan.
INFLUENCE OF FRIENDS
A major factor triggering the spread of drug abuse is the influence of friends. A person who uses drugs would prompt his friends to follow suit. The drug traffickers also use this as a supply chain. According to excise and police officials, in many educational institutions, the traffickers might be having direct link with only one or two students. It would be through them that the drugs are supplied to other students. An attempt to curb this supply chain is the anti-narcotic clubs being formed in institutions. "A group of tenth standard students at a school in Alappuzha held for drug abuse had confessed that they used to get drugs from an eighth-standard student," said an excise official.
There were also instances of boys being helped by girls in keeping drugs in their bags. "We have reports that many girls are also being lured into drug abuse. There were even instances of one girl going along with many boys in a resort for a smoke party," said the excise official.
EDUCATIONAL STRESS
The stress being imposed on students by the present education scenario is also a factor that drives students to drugs. Many schools offer no sporting or other extracurricular activities, especially at high school and higher-secondary levels. "We had even come across schools that do not give physical training sessions to students at higher secondary levels. “Students who are stressed up in a competitive educational scenario could be lured into drug abuse as a stress reliever," Excise sources said.
The tendency of drug abuse among beginners in professional colleges is also high as they are entering a comparatively free scenario after a stressed up school life. It is for these reasons that the police and excise departments are focusing their campaigns on youngsters, said sources.
LACK OF PARENTRAL MONITORING
About 99 percent of the students found to be drug abusers were either children staying away from parents or hailing from broken families. "Parents can easily detect whether their children are slipping into drug abuse. “Changes in normal behaviour, trying to stay detached from family members, staying off from family gatherings and social events, not taking food and aggressive behaviour towards dear and near ones are some basic signs of addiction to drugs," said the deputy excise commissioner.
The police narcotic cell officials pointed out that there were many instances of timely intervention of parents and guardians preventing a child from slipping into drug traps. But owing to the fear of social stigma many parents keep off subjecting children to professional counselling right in the initial stages itself. "Counselling at the family level could make immediate changes in students. “But for long- lasting changes, professional counsellors need to be engaged," said a narcotic cell official.
CONVENIENCE FACTOR
One reason being cited by many drug users was the ease in avoiding being caught. While police could y detect those involved in drunken driving, the state police or excise are not yet equipped for on-the-spot checking of a person under the drug's influence. "This is indeed an advantage for many drug users. If we are caught while driving under alcohol abuse, it is almost certain that we are booked. But the cops would be even clueless if we use synthetic drugs or prescription drugs," said a Kochi-based youth familiar with the activities of drug racketeers. Many foreign countries use gadgets like breath analyser that could conduct spot testing for drug abuse. Recently, a public interest petition was filed in the High Court about the matter and hence the state police may soon acquire such gadgets, sources said.
Police, Excise extend a helping hand
The police and Excise officials often play a role beyond enforcement and awareness. Many students nabbed for drug abuse were subjected to de-addiction treatments and counselling. In Thiruvananthapuram city also, the city narcotic cell could de-addict over 70 students over the last one year.
"We do not initiate legal action against many school and college students held with small quantities of ganja. Instead, they would be given counselling at our level or with the help of recognized de-addiction centres," said an excise official.
Some police officers even do follow-up by being in touch with the youngsters once held for drug abuse. "Not only that many students are de-addicted by our efforts, but many have also become informers regarding the drug rackets, said a city police officer.
‘Action against medical shops required’
A major challenge being faced by the enforcement agencies in curbing drug abuse is the unauthorised sale of prescription drugs. While there are around 19,000 medical shops in the state, the number of drug inspectors empowered to check the medical shops is only around 45. They even lack sufficient infrastructure like vehicles.
"Since we have limitations in checking medical shops, we seek the cooperation of drug control authority officials to carry out checks at medical shops we suspect," said excise commissioner Rishi Raj Singh. The medical shops are supposed to keep copies of prescription given by patients for purchasing prescription drugs like Alprax and Nitrazepam. But this norm is ignored by most private medical shops, making it easier for students to get intoxicating drugs.
‘Other depts should chip in’
The police and excise should give more focus on enforcement activities. It is high time that other agencies working for the welfare of children and youth take the initiative for awareness activities on a massive scale.
"Engaging students to other activities like sports is a major strategy to prevent children from slipping into drug abuse. With its limited resources, if enforcement agencies like police and excise give focus to awareness activities, the enforcement against drug supply racketeers may get affected. Hence, other government or voluntary agencies working in the field of youth and child welfare can take the lead in offering alternative activities to the students," said IG, administration, P. Vijayan. Mr. Vijayan, while serving as city police commissioner in Thiruvananthapuram in 2013, had initiated a football training project to prevent educationally weak students from landing in criminal activities.
