Problem of drug abuse among adolescents likely to explode in next decade, warns study

The problem of drug abuse is likely to explode in the next decade, particularly affecting children in the 10-17 age group, as the societal construct undergoes a massive shift, preliminary findings of an ongoing study released on Wednesday stated.

Mental health issues, performance pressure, growing emptiness and changing socio-economic conditions are having a toll on this very impressionable age group the most, making them vulnerable to addictive distractions, the study by independent think tank Think Change Forum has found.

The impact of the increasing drug abuse will be seen in both urban and rural India, the study said.

In view of the alarming growth in the consumption of substances in post-pandemic India, particularly among adolescents and youth, Think Change Forum has initiated a national study based on expert consultations to decode the problem of rising addiction and recommend solutions.

The think tank’s ‘Ideas for an Addiction-Free India’ initiative entails drawing learnings from the views of national experts from the fields of policy, psychology, social sciences and medical fraternity among others.

The preliminary findings have identified three important trends accelerating the adoption of substance use among adolescents and the youth, and three crucial interventions are needed to immediately decelerate them, it said.

Glamourisation of intoxication and addictive substances was the first important trend speeding up substance abuse in India, the study said.

“Today, heroes and heroines in popular media glamourise intoxication. Children and adolescents are exposed to these role models indulging in such acts across different media, including movies and video series. The message conveyed is that these activities are not only acceptable but also highly desirable,” Sushant Kalra, parenting coach and TEDx speaker, said.

It leaves those who do not indulge in drug use to feel “stigmatised”, he added.

The second trend accelerating drug use is the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products.

Experts believe such products are part of a marketing hype created by international e-cigarette companies, which claim that electronic device-based heated tobacco and vaping products are less harmful than cigarettes and that they aid de-addiction.

Dr K K Handa, chairman of ENT and Head Neck Surgery at Medanta Hospitals said, “The international tobacco industry is attempting to position e-cigarettes as a substitute to smoking.”

“It is not scientifically right to claim that e-cigarettes is a step-down from smoking cigarettes for eliminating nicotine addiction. Rather, e-cigarettes become a step-up activity to smoking conventional cigarettes,” Handa said.

E-cigarettes can be used to deliver other higher degree of addictive substances which can be in the form of sticks or other liquids, Dr Rajesh Gupta, additional director of Pulmonology and Critical Care at Fortis Healthcare Noida, said.

“Therefore, e-cigarettes can help smokers graduate to drugs more complex than nicotine,” he added.