Drug Scare In Schools. Prevent And Watch Out.

In a shocking turn of recent events, School students in Hyderabad are the targets of drug peddlers in Hyderabad. It brings to light vulnerability of students in modern times who are easily overcome with lifestyle crimes. It is LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) and chemicals abuse this time. These are psychedelic drugs or mood enhancers causing dependence by creating euphoria when one feels low. Growing in popularity is a drug that popularly goes as Molecule, a party drug which costs a reported Rs.6000 per blot.

Drugs in school? Why and How? Widening the net of customers, drug peddlers, many of whom are repeat offenders have turned to students as an easy market.

Their youth and immaturity has been compromised and the stress of teen years and peer pressure are to blame. Unlike adults whose choices are made consciously made, children get led into this trap. Social stress is a major factor here. Parties which were not very frequent earlier have become commonplace. A catalyst of minor victimization is the availability of contact over social media. Every child has a smart phone and some unfortunately have drug peddlers on their list.

How do parents and society help?

Work and stress of metropolitan living has eaten into family time. Children are seeking attention elsewhere. This attention is not always positive and parents may over see this detail in their children. Stranger is that fact that the drugs recovered are such as to last for 12 hours or more for the user. The symptoms are abnormal and erratic behavior with loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, depression and disoriented reflexes. These symptoms one must watch out for in their children and investigate. These are frequently confused with teenage mood swings and rebellious behavior.

The drug peddlers are very difficult to nab because of their intricate network. They pose as ordinary people and are thus hard to identify. Messaging apps and social groups are formed with a friend circle and a peddler and the route set. During the investigation, undercover agents posed as buyers and reached into the drug circuit to uncover the offender. The bust happened when it was discovered that a significantly high customer volume was from the school-going students. Not one but 20 schools are the hit list.

Drugs in Vizag is a very real threat. In recent news, 6 students from Andhra University were suspended for drug abuse. In a separate report, the excise department had unearthed cross-border narcotics smuggling. Drug peddlers from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and neighboring districts have been able to offload their wares here. The Vizag youth knows how to keep up with the times and the lure of fast life may prove to be too much. The outtake here is to keep a watch over your loved ones and not to confuse erratic behaviors with adolescence only. Smart phones, credit cards and indulgent pocket money should be considered too and time spent in conversation increased in the family.

Credit – Resource article published in Firstpost.