Drug addiction on rise among Delhi’s teens
http://www.newkerala.com/
New Delhi, Aug 10
Party hopping teenagers in the national capital are hooked to what are called ‘designer pills’, according to experts and police officers who claim that Delhi is witnessing an alarming rise in teenagers addicted to drugs.
According to sources in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), details of cases registered by authorities have indicated a 40 percent rise in the number of teenagers addicted to drugs in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
Experts say there are no figures available of the number of young drug addicts in New Delhi but they claim it would run into thousands. Pills like ecstasy, designer party drugs, opium and inhalers are provided to teenagers and youngsters by a shadowy network of dealers.
There are several drugs sold clandestinely in the market but trends suggest a drastic increase in the demand for “party drugs” that allow teenagers to party for long hours without feeling exhaustion.
A senior NCB official said: “In all rave parties, which are organised in Delhi and adjoining areas, boys and girls have been caught taking party drugs. During one raid on a rave party, we found many boys and girls were under the influence of such drugs.
“There were others who were addicted to cocaine and other drugs, to which the teenagers graduate from party drugs.”
The reason for more teenagers getting addicted to party drugs is that such narcotics give a “high” only for a short period of time, say experts.
“Another new drug is made by mixing ink remover with a chemical and it is then inhaled by youngsters to get a high before partying,” said Deputy Commissioner of Poliec D.L. Kashyap of the Narcotics Cell of Delhi Police.
Another trend disturbing police officials is that the drug abuse has been noticed even among teenagers from middle class homes and is no longer restricted to those from affluent families.
Another official said in some cases, both school and college-going girls had been addicted to drugs like ecstasy.
Well-known child psychiatrist Samir Parikh said: “The most shocking thing which I have come across is that hundreds of children studying in public schools and belonging to upper middle class families are taking drugs at a very young age.
“I even came across a case of a 12-year-old student who was addicted to party drugs.”
Pairkh said teenagers, particularly those from troubled homes or suffering from depression, have been found to be vulnerable to drug addiction.
Enumerating the reasons for teenagers becoming addicted to drugs, Parikh said: “Primarily it is because of the false sense of glamour associated with drugs that attracts teenagers who want to be different.
In the beginning they take drugs just to show off to others their macho image and then gradually they become addicted.”
