DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM

Item

Title: DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM
extracted text: _MH_2_A_SUDHA

SPECIAL FEATURE
By Naveen Kumar

or thousands of years man has been
using substances that have
p 'cho-active effects. In some
regions and countries the use of
such substances was closely linked to the
rituals and prevailing socio-cultural
practices. For example, opium, coca-leaf,
khat and alcohol have been regularly used
in different regions of the world in a
variety of ways. The apparent social
acceptance of the use of such substances
stemmed largely from the fact there was no
abuse. There there was, it was severely
ostracized. Society had very clearly drawn
the line and there was no question of
condoning any abuse. Unfortunately, what
we are witnessing today on a global scale
is a virtual epidemic of drug abuse.
According to the United Nations estimate,
there are 15 million drug abusers world
wide.
About 2.27 lakh drug addicts were
registered with various de-addiction,
counselling and after-care centres during
1990-91.
As no census of drug addicts has
been undertaken, exact number of drug
addicts in the country cannot be

F

Smoking life away!

ascertained. This figure is considered to be
a tonservative estimate or just the tip of
the proverbial ice-berg. Adding a new' and
disturbing dimension to the problem is the
fact that more and more young people are
being affected by what can only be
described as the sinister network of global
drug cartels. In view of the vulnerability of
intravenous drug users to AIDS, drug
abuse has now assumed even more
dangerous proportions.
Besides, for the people seeking a
13g Rashtriya Sahara ♦ July 1995

DRUG-DEPENDENCE

The probability of an adolescent succumbing to the
temptation of drug is not necessarily related to his knowledge
about it

SPECIAL FEATURE.
Drug addicts
doing yoga
exercises as
part of their
rehabilitation
programme

euphoric state of existence, away from the
maddening crowd around, the deadly
consequences of substance abuse and
dependence seem to be less important, if
not an illusion. The dark future is washed
away, at least for a moment, by the glaring
“flash”. Hence the rush for a “kuck" of a
different life!
The phenomenon of substance abuse
is the product of a complex interaction
among ±e individual, substance and the
environment.
“Drug-pleasure of a moment, debacle
of a life-time", so goes a graffiti on the wall
along one of [he main thoroughfare of
Delhi. Another hoarding exhorts, “say no

to drugs the first time, every time”. Looking
at these hoardings one could sense that the
problem of drug-abuse and dependence in
our country is not an illusion but a reality
that takes a heavy toll of human life.
It has been convincingly argued
that people take to drugs because they
are offered. It is very rare, at least for
illicit drugs, that first drug contacts
happen on the initiative of the user. The
offer comes normally in circumstances
where it is difficult to resist, in a
situation which tends to be described
not very aptly as social pressure or
curiosity. More often, it is in a situation
which is conducive to impetuous or

precipitous behaviour, a mixture of peer
modelling, risk-taking and going for
challenges. Or, it will simply be an offer
of the opportunity to join with others in
what appears to be the method of
extending pleasurable aspects of a
conventional recreational situation. So,
in spite of being ‘anti-drug' he or she
evaluates the offer not in terms of the
drug-education but in terms of the
current situation and the normal rules of
behaviour (sociability, enjoyment,
reciprocity, keeping one's cool, etc)
appropriate in such recreational
situations. This is true both for early
offers of legal drugs (cigarettes, alcohol)
and for later offers of illegal drugs.
Hardly any studies have been
undertaken to elicit the circumstantial and
emotional details of such situations of drug
initiation. It is difficult to see how
programmes of ‘preventive education' can
be effective if so little is known about the
behaviour which is to be prevented. “Just
say no" is certainly not the full answer.
This lack of knowledge on the initiation
into drugs has led to the generalisation of
the medical model of dependence to drug
use in general. We are asking for “cause"
of using drugs. There is an evidence to
suggest that dependence has a certain
medical connotation in drat there exists a
genetic predisposition towards it.
Rashlriya Sahara ♦ July 19S5 139

SPECIAL FEATURE =======================================
popularly known as Number 4 among the
However, the behaviour of taking a drug
locals. This brand of heroin is called
or accepting the offer of a drug does seem
Number 4 because it is fourth stage of
to resemble a medical condition about as
refinement containing as high as 90 to 95
closely as do other behaviours which
per cent heroin. From where do these
imply a definite risk to health like skiing
drugs come? Immediately the query leads
or mountaineering. All these behaviours
to the fact that National Highway No 39
are pleasurable. And in all of them risk
connects India and Myanmar, a constituent
taking is one component of the pleasure.
country of the notorious "Golden Triangle”
The fact that 'people do things which
(Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) where opium is
they enjoy doing’ does not need further
"grown like rice”. Besides, Manipur shares
explanation.
a 352-km border with Myanmar which is
However, it is important to keep in
sparsely guarded and it plays a crucial role
mind that the risk-taking can be fun, and
in the availability of drugs in these areas.
especially so during adolescence. The
Apart from this, people in the districts of
physiological reactions to fear and fun are
Rajasthan, (Barmer, Jodhpur) sharing its
very similar. From merely observing
border with vicious ‘Golden Crescent’
hormonal and some other physiological
changes we are normally
not able to say whether a
person is living through a
frightening experience, is
enjoying a good joke or is
experiencing an orgasm.
The smooth and virtually
timeless
undulations
between fright and fun can
well be observed on the
faces of people on a roller
coaster. It is therefore not
surprising
that
the
probability
of
an
adolescent accepting the
offer of a drug is not
correlated
to
his
knowledge about drugs.
A sportman’s ‘weakness’
The component of pleasure
experienced in the process of drug
(Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran) hold
initiation in many instances often
opium offering in high esteem. Chippa and
neutralises die unpleasant experience of
Sinhhis communities attach a lot of
the drug effect itself. This excitement
importance to opium. The high frequency
permits, for example, adolescents to
(22 per cent) of opium intake may be
become smokers inspite of the initial
attributed to their frequent handling of
unpleasant bitterness and cough
opium in their professional life.
provocation by cigarettes. They often have
Famous psychiatrist (AII.MS), Dr
to literally work themselves into regular
Mohan has found in his study of school
use. Like skiers, mountaineers or car
boys and girls in Delhi, that they use
drivers, drug users are convinced that they
painkillers (49 per cent) followed by
can overcome the risk. The facts, however
alcohol (12.7 per cent), tobacco (6.4 per
tell a different story. The situation is so
cent), tranquilizers (3.4 per cent) and less
alarming in the N-E states that in Imphal
than 5 per cent other drugs like cannabis
there is rarely a home that has not been
amphetamines, barbiturates, LSD and
invaded by the drug menace.
opium.
The most widely used drug in these
School of Social Work reported that
states is the most refined form of heroin,
drug users are marked by features like
j 4Q Rashtriya Sahara ♦ July 1995

insecurity, dependence, frustration and
anxiety. Besides, more than three fourth of
the respondents were dissatisfied with their
family and social situation.
In a study conducted by Malhotra and
Murty at the National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore, it
was found that drug addicts manifest
neurotic traits and anti-social behaviour
patterns.
Drug peddlers befriend before they
offer drug for the fust time to their victims,
at the pockets in city slums and, in the face
of gross apathy from administrative,
medical and related agencies, their
business flourishes smoothly.
One may well ask what role
government could play in the
control of drug abuse. Supply
reduction is the job of the
police and narcotics bureau.
Demand reduction is the job
of doctors in their treatment
centres. To the extent that
these administrative agencies
can’t stop the availability of
drugs, let the health care
service cure those who
become drug addicts, in spite
of all supply control efforts.
We
have
ample
evidence in India and abroad
that
these
traditional
strategies alone do not work.
Law enforcement will at times
drastically reduce the
availability of illicit drugs by spectacular
seizures, or a vigilant narcotics police may
prevent the establishment of a criminal
distribution network. But such successes
do not sustain. Clinics and drug de
addiction centres may cure large numbers
of. them but the rate of relapse of this
vicious cycle has acquired menacing
proportions.
Drug abuse is ±us closely linked to
health care, with health services
rendering necessary support. But for
successful prevention and care of the
disabled and chronically ill, community
involvement is necessary. Only people,
friends, teachers, media and above all a
commoner can prevent others to stay
drug free. ■

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