Take the war against drug addiction to classroom

CHENNAI: A happily married young couple in their early 20s in the city, who were expecting a child, recently discovered that they were HIV positive. Further investigation revealed that the groom had indulged in ‘rave drugs’ along with his friends on his last day in college and had no memory of the events of that night. Little had he known that his actions were going to affect the fate of his family. Catching people young and creating awareness is the best preventive measure against drug abuse, say experts.Retired Interpol Drug Specialist, Rama Sundaralingam says, “Drug abuse is not considered a priority issue, but it is important to take the war against drug addiction to the classroom, not the court room.” Dr Amudha Hari, founder of Mithras foundation that was set up in 2003 to address healthcare issues of HIV positive women and children, agrees. “There is a strong link between the high risk behaviour associated with drug abusers and the risk of contracting HIV infection,” she says. Referring to teens who give in to the influence of peer groups indulging in substance abuse, she says, “College students in the cross-over age group need to be empowered to say no to their friends in a polite way.”According to National Aids Control Organization, young people in the age group of 15-29 years comprise 25 per cent of the population. With youngsters in this age group accounting for 31 percent of AIDS burden, it is evident that they are at a high risk of contracting HIV infection due to lack of access to correct information. The stakeholders, including parents, students and teachers need to be aware of the problems related to teen drug abuse instead of slipping into denial mode, says Dr Anita Rao, Director of Medical Service, TTK hospital that is involved in treatment and  rehabilitation  of alcoholics and drug addicts. Some of the long term side effects of drug abuse include mood swings, fall out in academic performance, low concentration and poor memory that will result in deterioration of the overall personality of the teen, she asserts.Taking this into account, Mithras foundation will kick start a campus-connect initiative to sensitise first year and second year students in city colleges on the dangers of drug abuse from August first week. As a part of this effort, a host of lectures, meetings and student club activities will be held with Rama Sundaralingam and Justice S Mohan, former judge of Supreme Court  assisting as advisors for the initiative.