At a time when the problem of substance abuse has assumed alarming proportions in Uttarakhand, the youths and other people susceptible to this problem continue to face various challenges. Those who are involved with the rehabilitation of the substance abusers state that environmental factors, easy availability and peer pressure are the major factors fueling this problem.
A 22-year old MBA student who wants to remain anonymous said that youths face pressure to be adventurous and do something thrilling when they enter college life. “In college if the group you are in consumes drugs, you might end up at least trying it and if you like it, you might end up becoming addicted to it without realising it. Dehradun is an education hub and students from different cities come here to have quality education. Drugs are easily available which makes it easier to have drugs. I have seen my teenagers getting addicted, which ultimately affects their mental and physical health,” he said.
A 20-year-old from Kotdwar who has been clean for over a year now states that the popularity of drugs lured her to consume drugs when in high school. She said, “During school life, at least you are supervised by your parents which prevents most youngsters from becoming regular addicts. However, once you get out of your home you experience the freedom to do different things and those who were just occasional consumers of alcohol and drugs tend to become addicts. When I realised that the drugs are damaging my body severely I stopped consuming.”
Nijaat Rehabilitation Centre counsellor Yogesh Dobhal said that awareness is the main method for preventing substance abuse. “We have people from different age groups but most of the youths we have seen consume smack and injectable drugs which are highly addictive and then it’s hard for them to cope with the situation even if they want to. We have a three month rehabilitation process in which we try to involve them in music, games, prayers and other activities to divert them from drugs. We go to health camps and schools to spread awareness. It is vital to inform the people that if someday they are tempted to abuse drugs they should know the consequences they’ll face later,” he said.
