Kids addicted to drugs: Help is just a call away

FIGHTING MENACE Narco Line offers advice for deaddiction and rehabilitation

MUMBAI: When Pooja Bisht*, 45, discovered a small sachet of white powder in her 19-year-old son Amit*’s wallet early last month, she was forced to confront her worst fears.

Amit, a first-year B.Com student, would miss his morning lectures as he would get up only by noon. Pooja, a single mother, could do little to change his schedule as she had to get to work. The college refused to promote him, owing to his lack of attendance.

She also noticed many behavioural changes in Amit, but bought his excuses. There were many nights when he would not come home at all - he would explain his absence by saying he had group study sessions with friends. At other times, he would lock himself in his room to “work on projects”.

With the discovery of the sachet, much of his behaviour fell in place - Pooja realised her son was doing drugs.

Fearing social backlash, Pooja chose not to confide in anyone, but as she deliberated on what to do, she came upon the Narco Line (9819111222), a helpline run by the Mumbai police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC). The ANC offers advice for drug-deaddiction and rehabilitation programmes.

Pooja fixed an appointment with the ANC. She wanted to verify the substance she had found. The powder was identified as Mephedrone (MD), a banned synthetic drug that is extremely addictive and toxic. Now, Amit is among the 60 youngsters who are part of the department’s rehabilitation programme. All these youngsters are from urban, welleducated

and economically welloff families, the ANC said. And 80% of them have one more factor in common: they are from disturbed or broken families.

“It is sad, but true,” said deputy commissioner of police Shivdeep Lande, ANC head.

“A majority of them seem to have slipped into a drug habit owing to a lack of parental attention or insecurity.”

“This problem is endemic in countries where families are breaking down, or where parents are too busy to care for their children,” says psychiatrist Dr. Dayal Mirchandani. “By the time their problem is understood and therapy starts, their addiction is deep-rooted.” Almost as responsible are factors such as television and social media. “Many parents are scared to let kids go out and play. Though their fear is not unfounded, they are depriving their children of physical exercise and social interactions, both healthy outlets that can help build emotional strength.”

Noted clinical psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Machiswalla said schools could play a strong role in helping children cope with their distress. “Classes on moral education, values and even spirituality could help the child overcome emotional trauma,” he said.

Volunteers said cases of success are around 50%. Machiswalla said such programmes follow three steps. “The first phase involves correcting physical and psychological damage. Then begins the de-addiction programme. Thirdly, the issues that led to substance abuse have to be resolved. Otherwise, there is the danger of relapse,” he said.

(Name of parent and child in case study changed to protect identity.)

›I am terrified I have raised voice against the home minister and I’ve no faith in police. I’ll seek protection from the court. AKSHAY JAIN, Complainant