‘ More school, college students taking drugs’

◗ Students have a tendency to consume drugs as they give them an instant high. As per a propaganda on the Internet, marijuana is touted to be a ‘ safe drug’

Health experts in the national capital claimed that there is a rise in cases of marijuana consumption, especially among college students.

Professor of psychiatry, AIIMS, Dr Nand Kumar, said that every month approximately eight to 10 patients are admitted in the hospital with behavioural problems due to drug abuse.

The experts claimed that substance abuse has always been a matter of serious concern in the students of different age groups. In India though, consumption of marijuana and hashish, the two most easily available drugs, is steadily on the rise as compared to other drugs such as LSD and Cocaine.

Dr Kumar said that it is serious concern that the use of marijuana has increased only in the past few years among the students in both school and colleges, affecting their academic and psychosocial health.

“It is interesting to note that the students who use marijuana don’t think that it is harming them and the drugs are purchased by family members with symptoms of psychosis ( hallucination, delusion, disorganised behavior and poor motivation). It is a well established fact that marijuana can precipitate psychosis. However most students try to justify their drug use by saying that consumption of drugs is legalised in several countries,” Dr Kumar added.

“All other major cities in the country, especially the Delhi- NCR region, are reporting increased number of students into drug abuse. Clinical psychologists are witnessing a rise in the number of patients coming to them for rehabilitation from drug and substance abuse, the most common being marijuana,” they said.

Senior consultant, clinical psychologist, Max Hospital Delhi and Director, Dr Deepali Batra claimed that she is handling more than three cases of substance abuse, including marijuana, every week.

“Students have a tendency to consume drugs as they give them an instant high. There is a false propaganda on the Internet claiming marijuana as a “safe drug”. No drug could be safe for students who are in their physical and mental growth phase. It affects their personality , growth, causes lack of concentration and impacts memory and knowledge retention ability,” Dr Batra.