HYDERABAD: There has been much fear and paranoia over the past few weeks over school children getting hooked on hard drugs like LSD or MDMA. However, parents should be more worried about their kids getting hooked on to addictive substances like cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, whitener or glue which are more easily available and much cheaper than hard drugs.While there is a serious dearth of studies focused on prevalence substance abuse among Hyderabad’s school going children, studies conducted elsewhere in the country report wide prevalence.
One such study conducted in Bengaluru among 354 high school students of three prominent schools found that alcohol was the most commonly abused substance, as 28 per cent of the kids reported consuming it. Glue sniffing, smoking and cannabis were abused the most and the least abused was cocaine. Similar results were reported from other cities in India where such studies have been conducted.
A nationwide study conducted on substance abuse among children aged 5-18 by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in 2013 reported that the highest percentage of kids were abusing tobacco followed by alcohol, cannabis, inhalants (like glue and whitener) and pharmaceutical opioids (like cough syrups), sedatives and heroine. Children as young as 13 years were found to be addicted to cannabis.
Rahul Luther, director of Hope Trust, a rehabilitation centre says that it has been observed at the centre that cannabis is the most abused substance when it comes to children from middle and affluent class families. He said that there have also been cases of children addicted to MDMA, also known as ecstasy, but they were very few as compared to cannabis. He added, “There is a myth associated with cannabis that it is not dangerous, which is false. Cannabis use is associated with psychosis in some persons.”
How to detect if kids are into substance abuse?
As per a document by Apollo MedSkills on abuse of addictive substances, warning signs of substance or drug abuse include --
Drop in attendance or performance at school
Unexplained need for money
Engaging in suspicious behaviour
Sudden changes in friends
Frequently getting into trouble
Changes in appetite or sleep pattern
Bloodshot eyes
Larger or smaller than usual size of pupils
Unusual smells on breath, body or clothing
Loss or gain in weight
Tremors, slurred speech, impaired coordination, paranoia, anxiety and sudden mood swings