By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The alarming rise of drug abuse among children and adolescence coupled with the increase in cases of drug overuse related deaths in Shillong has raised concerns of many including the State Police which likened drug use to a ‘disease’.
“Like alcoholism, drug use is a disease and the only difference is that the latter is more expensive to sustain which in many cases compels drug addicts to resort to crimes like robbery, burglary, extortion and the like”, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Vivek Syiem said.
Stating that the threshold to come out of drug abuse is even harder, Syiem cautioned about the kind of treatment one reserves for an addict. “A drug addict should not be treated as a criminal but as a person who is in dire need of help, care and support.”
Presenting the district-wise statistic of drug abuse in the State during an awareness programme, ‘Reaching Out to the Youth for a Safe-Secure-Shillong’, Syiem pointed out that Jaintia Hills ranks first among the districts in the State with as many as 5398 users pertaining to an age group from adolescence till 35 years. Jaintia Hills is followed by East Khasi Hills with 5113 users, Ri-Bhoi (2397), West Khasi Hills (1525), East Garo Hills (1500), West Garo Hills (1100), and South Garo Hills (800), taking the total to 17, 833 drug users in the State.
Syiem also informed that drug abuse in the capital city is rising with over 1000 such cases being registered every year and this has given rise to deaths from overdose of drugs besides increasing the vulnerability of drug users to HIV/AIDS.
Syiem also informed that with the setting up of the District Anti-Narcotic Task Force, a sub-group of the special cell (crime branch) last year, drug-related cases are being handled by this special cell which is equipped with the necessary facilities to conduct important procedures on the spot.
“It is alarming to see that 50 per cent of the crimes are being committed by street and abandoned children in commercial areas of the city,” Syiem said.
According to a study conducted by Childline, around 70 street children using drugs by inhaling dendrites were identified from the commercial areas of the city.
The Additional SP also informed that drugs like Cannabis and derivatives, psychotropic substance and manufactured drugs reaches the State through the Golden Triangle (NE India -South East Asia). The various trends adopted by peddlers to transport the drugs across differ from time to time.
“Some of the traffickers use the link system which involved linking thieves, arm dealers to carry out the same, by setting up a nodal centre for stocking heroin and other drugs in Silchar, Assam,” Syiem said while adding that apart from women who are the primary carriers, even students and army personnel bring drugs into the State.
Maintaining that eradication remains a problem, Syiem said there is a need to adopt controlled strategies, better treatment services, better employability and collaboration between the law enforcement agencies and the community as a whole.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, M Kharkrang, expressed disappointment over the increasing cases of youth coming into conflict with the law.
“Spreading awareness among the youth on drug-related matters is the need of the hour besides making them aware of the prevailing laws,” he added.
Drawing the attention of the youth towards the shocking rise of suicide cases in East Khasi Hills, Kharkrang informed that from January 2012 till date, about 43-45 suicide cases have been registered pertaining to the age group between 15-35 years.
“Almost every week, we get reports of suicide cases and the frequent incidences do not make news anymore,” Kharkrang.
The awareness programme was organised by the East Khasi Hills District Police and sponsored by the Deputy Commissioner.