Guest Column: Feeling inferior, performance anxiety play role in student drug abuse

Ganja use is on the rise among college and school students and even among those in non- educational institutions, especially on the outskirts of the city. To curb this, it’s important to deal with supply and distribution of ganja.

Addiction is a sort of a disorder. Without the substance you are addicted to you cannot function and everything else, responsibilities, concerns, and even parents are negated and only self and pleasure become important.

So it is a serious issue. It’s important that institutions routinely warn their students about it and educate students about the effects of drugs. The message has to be displayed on notice boards and become the subject of songs and competitions. Group discussion, and cultural activities can be used to prevent students from becoming addicted to drugs.

The scouts movement, NCC and NSS could also be used to spread the message that taking drugs is dangerous, and cannot be experimented with. The message should come more from institutions than parents of adolescents.

There are psychological factors involved in students trying to abuse themselves, such as a feeling of inferiority and an inability to perform. Most parents’ expectations from their children are very high as they spend a lot of money on their education. When students find it difficult to meet these expectations, they begin to move towards addictions.

Happiness is an experience of the individual at the psychological level. It is a conscious activity, which has to come from within and its source is the mind. A state of happiness does not create restlessness. Distraction comes from restlessness.

Among adolescents, restlessness may be body based, or could come from parental pressure and personal needs. It is in such phases that alcohol, gaming, and drug addictions are developed.

The city police does not only need to take initiative to curb the supply and distribution of drugs but also create awareness against their use.