Posts Tagged Substance abuse

HIV/AIDS and Drug Addiction: Vulnerability of Street Teenagers

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Prescription Drug Abuse on August 29th, 2009

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The developing countries in the eastern part of the globe are facing a new challenge – controlling the spread of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS amongst street teenagers. Such children, who are on the street deprived of any guidance and affection, are at a risk of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS contraction. The difficult circumstances under which they live make drug abuse and sexual exploitation inevitable parts of their lives.

Street children are abjectly neglected and are mostly considered as a nuisance to the society. They are an extremely mobile population who are abused at different levels. The threats of street life force them to conform to gangs where drug abuse and sexual activity are desired sources of pleasure. Lack of information regarding the issues is yet another curse which makes them even more vulnerable.

The Government and Non-government agencies have been trying hard to bring the situation under control. Dr.Nghyen Dang Phan of the Binh Dan hospital in Vietnam said that in 2004 and 2006 he had witnessed 85 HIV/AIDS patients die in Mai Khoi Charity Medical Centre of whom 93% were male drug users. Phan said 66% of the HIV positive people are infected through drug abuse and 18% through unsafe sexual practices. He was attending a seminar organized by the Centre for Applied Social Work of HCM City Open University to promote a healthy life for street teenagers. This was a part of the project launched by the university to help addicts quit their habit. The Director of the Department said that last September a group was formed with 15 former drug users who work as peer motivators encouraging other users to kick the habit.

Different NGOs in India are also working for the cause. Homes have been set up for these children. Education and Life Skills Training form integral parts of the different projects that are being run by different organizations that have proved to be extremely successful.

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Parents – Can you hear this?: Effects of Parents’ Drug Addiction in Family

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Testing on August 23rd, 2009

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It has been a long time that we are focusing primarily on issues related to teenage addiction. As parents we are concerned about our children’s vulnerability to substance abuse. But did we ever focus on our own behavior? Parents serve as role models for children. Thus it is their responsibility to practice what they preach. If you ever try to delve deep into the reasons for a child’s addictive behavior, you will surely find that faulty learning process is the most important factor and parents, being the first teachers of a child, are the chief influencers.

There are a number of people who suffer from problems related to substance abuse but they prefer to keep them unaddressed due to shame or other social factors. I was just going through a post “Diane Schuler’s Death: kills buzz for moms who drink” and was just shocked to know how reckless a mother could be. Schuler, a 36 years old mother of two, met with a fatal accident on 26th July, 2009 when she crashed her minivan into an approaching traffic killing herself, her 2 year old daughter, three young nieces and three men in another car. Police said that shortly before the mishap, Schuler had smoked pot and drank 10 drinks worth of vodka. Her blood alcohol level was twice more than the permissible limit.

The incident of Diane Schuler is the extreme example of how kids suffer due their parents’ addiction. It is being said that in suburban areas like Westchester, the rate of drunken mothers driving with their children has been rising steadily. But most families pretend that the disease doesn’t exist and this worsens the situation.

Children of addicts are the silent sufferers. The irresponsible behavior of their parents fosters a sense of insecurity within them. They tend to become rebellious and ultimately find solace in drugs.

If substance abuse is a problem for you please seek help.

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Substance Abuse and Crime

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Other Addictions on August 4th, 2009

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Recently a workshop on the Status and Impact of Substance Abuse in T&T was organized –“Detection, Early Intervention and Creation of a drug free workplace.” A comment made by Dr. Amery Browne, the Social Development Minister invoked mixed reactions from the audience. He said, “Substance abuse continues to destroy families, caused our children to be murdered. Substance abuse is tied to violence, poverty and terrorism.”

The obvious question that arises is “Are alcohol and drug abusers criminals?” Working for the cause for more than a decade and being a witness of lives that have changed after stopping drug use, I would rather say that there are certain factors that lead to their involvement in criminal activities. The most common one being the compulsion to sustain their addiction.  Larceny, burglary, embezzlement, robbery, etc. to get money for drugs, are frequent. They can go to any extent to fetch money for the chemical. In third world countries like India, drugs addicts are also known sell their blood for money. Yes, this is true.

The pharmacologic effects of drugs on the behavior of the user also contribute a lot in generating violence. Alcohol is known to generate violence by reducing inhibitions while marijuana has no such effect. Reports received from the law enforcement agencies of the country have shown that a good percentage of criminals had performed the crime under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The officials have given testimony before the Congressional Committee about the close relationship between property crime and drug addiction. They have also said that the percentage of such crime will reduce with incarceration of the drug users. 

Possession and distribution of drugs itself is a crime thereby making drug addicts law offenders without actually getting involved in other antisocial activities. The lifestyle of the drug users increases the chance to get exposed to situations that encourage crime.

So the treatment options available for addiction should always stress on crime free recovery. Please let me know your views on this issue. It’s our collective responsibility to make every house drug free.

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