STUDENTS EASY PREY TO DRUGS

Easy availability of drugs near educational
institutions has led to a growing number of students falling prey to
drug addiction in the city.

This was revealed during a survey conducted by Kripa Foundation, one
of the oldest and largest NGOs working in the field of substance abuse
and HIV/AIDS in the country.

Rabiul Islam, the project consultant of Kripa Foundation (Assam), said
during the survey, 27.35 per cent of the student respondents disclosed
that drugs were easily available near their schools or colleges.

"What is ironic is that police stations in Guwahati said they knew
nothing of drugs being sold in their areas," Islam said.

The report on the topic "Comprehensive Survey on Substance Abuse in
Guwahati - Trends, Magnitude and Gaps", conducted by the NGO, was
released by MLA Robin Bordoloi here today on International Day Against
Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

The report says the prevalence of "glue sniffers", particularly of
Dendrite and Erazex, is quite wide in schools and colleges with 50 per
cent of students stating that these were being abused.

Islam said NGOs working with street children reported that 25.45 per
cent children were addicted.

He said curiosity and peer pressure were the two main factors that
attracted youths toward drugs.

According to the report, certain synthetic drugs, also known as party
drugs, have made their way to Guwahati from metro cities.

"Ecstasy, Ketamine, LSD and magic mushrooms (hallucinogenic mushrooms)
are available in some areas and pubs while cocaine is available too,"
the report said.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms are coming from the Kodaikanal area in south
India.

Islam said pharmaceutical drugs, which are abused in the city, are
Spasmoproxyvon (a painkiller), cough syrups containing codeine, opium
derivates, sedatives and barbiturates and also certain
stimulants/amphetamines.

The report recommended that the government should enact legislation,
restricting sale of Dendrite and Erazex to minors, immediate
cancellation of licences of pharmacies illegally selling drugs without
prescriptions, making compulsory for all educational institutions to
have at least one awareness programme on substance abuse.

The zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau, P.K Ghosh, who was
present during the release of the report, said the region had become a
corridor for drug trafficking.

Awareness, an NGO, observed the day by distributing cards to medical
shops in the city, appealing them not to sell cough syrup without the
prescription of a registered medical practitioner.