PGIMS sees 12-fold rise in schoolkids availing de-addiction treatment

FOUR-YEAR FIGURE Youngsters more inclined towards opioids than alcohol, reveals study by Hry drug dependence treatment centre

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The most common reason we found behind drug consumption is stress and peer pressure. One can easily become an addict after injecting drugs more than four times.

DR SUNILA RATHEE, consultant, state drug dependence treatment centre

ROHTAK: The number of schoolchildren addicted to drugs visiting the state drug dependence treatment centre at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak has witnessed a 12-fold jump in last four years.

As per the study conducted by Dr Vinay and Dr Sunila Rathee, both of whom are consultants at the Haryana’s drug dependence treatment centre, 18 school-going children aged between 14 and 19 years had appeared for the treatment in 2016 and the number went up to 29 in 2017, 111 in 2018 and reached 209 till last year.

The number of youths in the age group of 20 to 25 years registered at the centre was 267 in 2016, 390 in 2017, 507 in 2018 and 451 in 2019, the study revealed.

A 16-year-old boy from a well off family said it was two years ago that he was for the first time introduced to a mixture of cough syrup and soft drink by his friends. He used to study in Class 8 then, he claimed.

“After consuming that potion, I felt relaxed and started taking it regularly. This was followed by cigarette smoking and I ultimately got hooked to heroin after I expanded my group. We joined some students of

Class 11 and 12, who were already into substance abuse,” he added.

“Now, I don’t attend school and stay at my village home. My parents treat me as a liability,” he said.

A parent, who did not wish to be named, says he come to know about his 17-year-old son’s dependence after he became a ‘big addict’.

“I remember scolding my son once for consuming alcohol at a wedding. But, little did I know I would find him administering drugs through a syringe one day,” the distressed father said, adding that he wasted no time when he realised that his son was into drugs and brought him to PGIMS to start his treatment.

ALARMING INCREASE IN CASES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

As per assistant professor Dr Sunila Rathee, cases of opioid consumption among school-going children falling under the age group of 14 to 19 years and youths in the bracket of 20-25 years have increased at an ‘alarming’ rate.

“In 2016, 27.8% schoolchildren used to consume opioids. In 2017, the figure was 37.9%, in 2018, it was 53.15% and 74.6% was the percentage calculated last year. 36% of those falling in the 20-25 category were hooked to opioids in 2016, 40% in 2017, 65% in 2018 and 72% in 2019,” she said.

Dr Rathee pointed that the cases of alcohol consumption were reducing, while there was a multifold increase in the number of opioid users.

“It is shocking that teenagers are addicted to opioids,” the doctor said.

“The most common reason we found behind drug consumption is stress and peer pressure. One can easily become an addict after injecting drugs more than four times. Drugs such as smack and heroin, which were earlier consumed by inhaling, are now being directly injected into the bloodstream through veins, which is even more harmful,” Dr Rathee added.