Rising concern: Young children in Chennai fall prey to early substance abuse trends

CHENNAI: The topic of substance abuse is a serious public health issue that needs attention and government intervention. For the last decade or so, it trickled down to schools, where the age of younger children falling prey to addiction and substance abuse is getting lower across the State.

Though there is no government-sponsored study or data to back up this claim, mental health experts that this reporter spoke to had anecdotal evidence on the extent of substance abuse among younger children.

What is substance abuse, and how is it different from addiction? In layman’s terms, substance abuse is defined by either the use of illicit substances like ganja, Cool Lip, Hans, paint chemicals and other tobacco-based products (all of which are popular among school kids), or the overuse/misuse of prescription-medication. Substance abuse, over a period of time, can lead to addiction but both are not the same problem. Addiction is the result of using substances that impact the brain’s reward centre so strongly that it alters brain functionality. Because of this, addiction is considered to be a disease.

Not locale-specific

Substance abuse is not limited anymore to a specific locality. Easy accessibility has made distribution more flexible. Psychiatrists say that such trends are worrying as children have no clue to the serious psychotic illnesses they are at risk of as they grow older.

“There are many school students falling prey to substance abuse. It is not restricted to one place in the city and it’s worse in resettlement areas. School and college authorities themselves admit to these problems among students. There are cases of substance abuse among students of classes 4 and 5. Earlier, it was only among students of Class 8 and above, but now it’s catching on with younger kids. Substance abuse is worse in children above Class 10,” said R Geetha, an activist and consultant member of Unorganised Workers Federation.

The problem of substance abuse is not a linear problem, which is why it requires a multifaceted approach to prevent it. “We need value-based awareness along with health education. Children are unaware of the impact of drugs on their health. There is a need for separate units for drug eradication and completely eliminating drug sales. Besides prohibition, community-level involvement, education and promotion of sports activities are all crucial in getting through to kids,” she opined.

Peer pressure

What’s shocking is that students are able to buy these drugs amongst themselves. Awareness programmes through the government mental health institutions have highlighted that students buy substances such as Cool Lip or ganja powder in bulk, and distribute it within their peers.

The 17-18 year olds sell to the younger ones (14-15 year olds), and then it trickles down further to 12-13 year olds. “Peer pressure is clearly the main reason. Ganja is the most common and easily accessible everywhere, besides Cool Lip, which is more prevalent among younger kids. When we get such cases, it’s not just one child but usually a group,” said a psychiatrist from a GH in Tirunelveli.

Peer pressure is identified as a common cause of substance abuse among young kids. While the tendency to be influenced becomes high in adolescence, even the younger age group is seen falling for it.

“There is a curiosity to try out new things, and different types of intoxication too,” said a psychologist with a community outreach programme in the city. “Be it varnish, chemicals used in paints, Cool Lip or others, they are available everywhere especially areas in and around schools. Older kids buy them and give them to their peers. We were able to identify such cases from a school in Ayanavaram.”

Awareness among parents

Social factors and developmental shifts cannot be overlooked as reasons for increasing exposure to drugs in pre-teens.

“Puberty is setting at an early age, which also points out the developmental shift and personality changes,” pointed out a city-based psychologist. “We can say that it’s time to revisit the developmental theories to have a better and more efficient system for the personality training and management of young children. It is not just substance abuse but we are also witnessing child psychosis, bipolar disorders and other psychotic behaviour at an early age in children.”

School authorities also admit to the increasing challenge of substance abuse in their respective institutions. “Substance abuse is more rampant among boys than girls. Cool Lip is common among students of classes 6 and 8, while students older than that prefer ganja,” said a staff from a government school in Tiruvottiyur, on condition of anonymity.

Schools seek help from NGOs and government de-addiction centres to conduct community outreach programmes to create awareness. “We’re trying to address these problems, with the help of families of these children,” said a psychologist and senior official from IMH. “Parents usually punish them or scold them but that does not address the problem. Instead, it leads to rebellious behaviour and more harmful secrets. It’s important to educate them about the right approach,”

TN govt’s initiatives

Mental health professionals emphasise on the need to establish de-addiction rehabilitation centres in every taluk, as the incidence of substance abuse among children is undeniable.

“We need to work on multiple levels through awareness and education to bring it down, and prevent it,” added the official.

The State Health Department has planned to focus on creating awareness among school and college students about the harmful effects of drug, alcohol, and tobacco consumption. This initiative is planned to be conducted in coordination with the School Education Department, Higher Education Department, and Police department.

Additionally, community-based awareness and counselling services, both group and individual counselling, de-addiction treatment, and follow-up services will be provided through de-addiction centres and camps in every district. These services aim to offer appropriate rehabilitation and support to those in need.