As increasing pressure to excel academically and socially is forcing many students to fall into the trap of drug abuse and mental health disorder, experts have pitched for introducing innovative subjects like coping skills or life skills in the schools besides robust and early interventions counseling programs in schools to help learn the young minds to how to cope such difficult situations.
At the event organized by Think Change Forum (TCF), a think tank, in the backdrop of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023 on Monday, the experts also acknowledged the rising vulnerability of adolescents and youth to emerging substance use threats in schools and homes as well.
In this connection, Suneel Vatsayan, Chairperson of Nada India Foundation said that “In many cases, the initiation of alcohol or tobacco consumption habits begins within the home environment. Therefore, it is crucial for parents to establish clear boundaries and avoid having any ambivalent attitude towards these chemicals, like e-cigarettes. Educational institutions can play a proactive role here by providing counselling sessions to parents to tackle this issue.”
Dr Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi, parenting coach, educator and founder of Get Set Parent added,” Schools are more than just places of education; it consists of a highly influencing community including peers and teachers in the prime years of the child. It is within the school environment that adolescents start to develop independent relationships outside of their families.”
Agreed Anju Kish, Founder, and CEO, of Untaboo, a Safety and Sex Education company even as she felt that, “A lot of schools hold the misconception that hosting and conducting sessions on drugs or alcohol resistance sends a message that there is already a problem with the students. This perspective is flawed and we need to have mandatory preventive conversations within schools.”
Kalyan Chatterjee, educationist and author added, “Parents need to be educated in a systematic manner about effective strategies to address the issue of substance abuse among their children. It is crucial for them to understand that their children are being targeted and exploited by vested interests promoting products ranging from e-cigarettes to vaping.
“Rather than stigmatizing the children, the parents should empathize with them, engage in conversations. By involving parents in the educational system and empowering them to have meaningful discussions, we can collectively work towards putting an end to this menace.”
Nalini Niranjan Mohanty, Director, Jagran Institute of Management and Mass Communication said “Schools can play an important role to wean students away from such habits formed at an early age influenced by the glamorization of mass media, particularly in cases where families or parents are unable to provide adequate support or when the family environment is not conducive..”
At the same time, Dr Sudheendra Huddar, addiction psychiatrist, Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and neurosciences dwelled on the need for early intervention programs to tackle rising cases of new dangerous habits like vaping among young children.
According to a 2019 national survey, the prevalence of substance use among adolescents in India is approximately 2% which is quite high in absolute numbers. Notably, inhalants as a category of substance abuse are more prevalent among adolescents compared to adults. In recent times, drug suppliers have been increasingly adopting novel strategies such as vaping to target teenagers and adolescents through new delivery mechanisms and technology-based solutions.