School kids getting addicted to drugs in Punjab,Haryana

School-going children and dropouts, some as young as nine years of age, are increasingly getting hooked to drugs in northern states of Punjab and Haryana, a phenomenon that has set the alarm bells ringing.

These kids initially get exposed to intoxicants including ink-remover fluids handily available at book and provisional stores, say doctors treating drug addicts at the many Outpatient Opioid-assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in Punjab.

They get a high inhaling the fluid and then step up by consuming other forms of addictive drugs in bad company, according to experts. The OOAT clinics in border town Taran Taran offer a glimpse of the spiralling crisis gripping school kids.

As per data, more than 100 children between 9 to 15 years of age are addicted to some form of drugs in this district alone, Dr Jaspreet Singh, in-charge of OOAT clinic said. In village Bhagupur, over 50 kids are drug addicts.

While Punjab is infamous for a high incidence of drug trafficking and drug abuse, neighbouring Haryana is struggling to stay aloof from this crisis. Jat dominated Rohtak district brings out the sordid picture of children hooked to drugs.

As per a survey conducted by doctors at the state drug dependence treatment centre at the prestigious PGI Rohtak, as many as 268 children between 10 and 19 years of age were registered for treatment at the centre in the last two years up to December last.

Majority of these children were school dropouts. Experts opine that the number of children falling prey to drugs or other forms of intoxicants may be far more than those coming for treatment.

Punjab under CM Amarinder Singh has initiated several measures to break drug supply lines, but for addicts, it’s not hard to lay hands on drugs from traffickers and supply agents. Arrests of drug addicts galore in the state, yet reports suggest that every day over three persons accused under the NDPC act walk out of prison on bail. Six-months data from October last to March this year suggests that as many as 632 accused got bail in NDPS cases from courts.