HYDERABAD: “Bob Marley’s ganja in my brain is my favourite song, anna,” says 16-year-old Praveen as he snatches my phone in one swift motion to play it for me on YouTube. “Ganja in meditation, ganja in my brain. Marijuana take away my stress and pain,” Praveen sings along as he guides me to his room where he is currently housed for de-addiction therapy. Praveen was addicted to multiple substances like marijuana, tobacco and alcohol for two years.
T
he teen studies at a private school and moonlights as a helper with a tent house. His mother works as a maid. So, what pushed Praveen into addiction? He blames Bob Marley.
“Have you heard the song Ganja Gun?” he asks me. “You slip into a trance while listening to his songs. It glorifies what ganja can do to you.”
Praveen also claims he was inspired to smoke up by the Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, though no records exist of the hero of Bolivian revolution using marijuana.
Besides media and popular culture, Praveen says he was motivated by his friends, as well as the sight of homeless people and ragpickers at Clock Tower in Secunderabad, to try something they were inhaling with a cloth over their hands.
Praveen abused marijuana for a year after which he also picked up drinking and chewing tobacco. His treatment is nearing completion now and is likely to be discharged soon.
Things got out of control after Praveen got intoxicated and beat up his mother. On returning to sober state of mind, he couldn’t believe he had done such a thing. This was when he was sent to the de-addiction centre.
Many teens cutting across social and economic backgrounds are addicted to a range of substances, varying from the more common alcohol to severe drugs like LSD and MDMA. Teens are even resorting to the use of speedballs — a dangerous mix of hard drugs.
Prevalence of substance abuse
While there has been no comprehensive study yet on substance abuse among children in the state, a report on the situation among street children observed the practice was mostly prevalent among 11-14 age group.
‘A study on prevalence and pattern of substance abuse among street children and adolescents in the state of Andhra Pradesh’ published in the Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences in the year 2014 observed that 71 per cent of children on streets end up abusing substances.
While psychedelic substances are mostly sourced from the dark web and a closed network of peddlers, ganja is easily available from prime hot spots in the city. “There are some auto guys and youngsters playing around in the area who supply drugs. You can buy a packet of ganja for as little as `100,” says Praveen. “Those too scared of sourcing these drugs instead abuse everyday items like whiteners and Fevicol.”
Interestingly, after the recent drug bust in the city that brought to light the internet sources from where hard drugs and party drugs are sourced, the trend still continues to be the safest bet for users, considering strict vigil by police in the real world. “Not everyone is trusted especially when it comes to selling drugs,” says a user on condition of anonymity. “Dark web is the easiest place to source stuff.”
“After ganja leaves are rolled and ready to be smoke, it just looks like a cigarette. No one can really make out if it is ganja that we are puffing unless the security gets to smell what we are smoking,” said an addict who smokes ganja at Indira Park in the city.
“Old buildings or even a secluded area at a street corner becomes our adda,” he added.
Role of parents
If parents are alcoholic, experts say, children are likely to get addicted to harder drugs. Take the case of 12-year-old Kiran from Chhattisgarh, who performs stunts at railway stations for a living. He says he took to alcohol because of his father.
“I see him drink everyday. I couldn’t resist and began drinking too,” he says. Meanwhile, knowingly or unknowingly, several parents use kerosene or petrol as a calming substance to control their children which also amounts to substance abuse, observes a 2015 study conducted in Hyderabad. The study on ‘Drug Abuse and its Incidence- 3 Different Collective Case- Studies’ published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Clinical Practice observes that usage of petrol and other such gasoline inhalants to control hyperactivity among children will cause serious withdrawal symptoms.
Restlessness, irritability, inattention, sleep disturbance, and craving are common.
Nabi, a Juvenile Justice Counsellor observes that children who are abusing substance will need more finances to quench their desire for sedation.
“Children will start to become lean, their appetite will reduce, they might also have breathing & cognitive disorders.”
“At acute levels, they might steal or sell their belonging for money,” he adds. In this situation, a representation given to the Central and State government by the Indian Psychiatric Society to include a chapter on mental health fitness, addressing effects of substance abuse, is yet to be considered.
De-addiction centres the final resort
In Telangana, the four juvenile welfare homes — three for boys and one for girls — have been set up by Department of Women Development and Child Welfare (WDCW) for Hyderabad, Warangal, and Nizamabad. Though these are meant to house street children and orphans, they are currently being used as de-addiction centres. “Whenever there is a surge in the number of child addicts, we will have a special programme. The camp will usually run for 15 days in rehabilitating and counselling 20-25 children at a time,” said Imtiaz Ali, District Child Protection Officer, Hyderabad.
Apart from this there is just one de-addiction centre that is run by the State government — at the Institute of Mental Health in Erragadda. But that is exclusively for adults. In extreme cases of addiction, children are referred to the Ministry for Social Justice scheme: Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Alcoholics and Addicts (IRCA).
“Referring to such centres is alright as long as there is a parent accompanying the child. Otherwise, children cannot be admitted into de-addiction centres,” said Imtiaz.
The Central government scheme currently supports five NGOs in Telangana to give free rehabilitation and de-addiction services to drug addicts.
“Though children are not to be admitted to a de-addiction centre, we consider admission in severe cases if that is what the parent wants,” says Krishna Reddy, General Secretary, New Hope Association, an IRCA-supported NGO. Dr Naresh Vadlamani, Chairperson, School Mental Health Taskforce, Indian Psychiatry Society said: “De-addiction should be the last resort for a child to undergo treatment.”
Counseling should be tried first under the guidance of qualified personnel and de-addiction therapy should only be referred in cases where the abuse is beyond limit,” he said. He also alleged that state government is not properly utilising funds to develop de-addiction centres. “The processes of issuing licenses is a slow, and unqualified people are coming up with de-addiction centres,” he said.
Substances ‘a thing of the past’ say ex-addicts
Ex-child addicts say that their life outside the illusion of getting high is much brighter and more vivid.
“I certainly know for a fact that life right now is much better than what it was when I sniffed those handkerchiefs with whitener,” says Khaleel, a 16-year-old recovering drug addict.
Walking me through a dilapidated building filled with wild plants and several substance abusers in Lower Tank Bund where he and his friends used to get high on various substances, Khaleel says that while he is certainly going to miss the company of his fellow addicts, he is also firm that he does not want to go back to abusing drugs.
“Khaleel, needed someone to look up to, a role model, so that he can get inspired,” says Shashank Vissa, Fellow at Teach for India.
What
save the children recommends
Government should establish de-addiction homes/centre as currently there are only centres run by NGOs or institutions. Government centres will help families to reduce the cost of treatment and boarding
Awareness drives should be organised in schools on a monthly basis
Teachers should be trained to educate children throughout the academic year
The Police and the Excise Department should map the hot spots in the city and awareness drives to be conducted through audio-visuals
Educative and awareness programmes should be screened on regional television channels for greater reach
Peer pressure driving children into use of substances, says Akun Sabharwal
Akun Sabharwal, Enforcement Director, Telangana Prohibition and Excise said that more than pop-culture it is the peer pressure and curiosity that drives children to use substances. On accessibility front, Marijuana is the most common drug to reach children and by far the supply from agency areas is lowered when compared to previous years
(Names of all children mentioned have been changed to protect their identity)
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