Drug addiction is one of the biggest problems in Bangladesh at the moment. Drug addiction refers to being addicted to drugs.
Drugs that cause addiction, loss of desire to acquire knowledge and memory, have been termed as drugs in the textbooks of Bangladesh. In a broad sense, drugs are substances that cause significant negative changes in the physical and mental condition of the people using them.
This can lead to dependence on them, as well as an increase in the consumption of those products. Cigarettes, bidis, tobacco, cigars, alcohol, tadi, marijuana, charas, cannabis, marijuana, heroin, phencidyl, morphine, yaba, etc. are drugs.
Although there are no official statistics regarding drug addicts in Bangladesh, according to a private estimate in 2019, the number of drug addicts in the country is over 65 lakh.
According to the Prevention of Drug Abuse (MANAS), 80% of the drug addicts are teenagers and young adults. Even in 2021, the number of teenagers and young drug addicts remains high.
In 2016, the founding president of the same private organisation and a member of the National Drug Control Advisory Committee, professor Arup Ratan Chowdhury had said that there are 2.5 million children and adolescents in Bangladesh, under the age of 18, who are addicts.
Needless to say, in any discussion on drug addiction, how to keep the country’s children and adolescents safe from the clutches of drugs is very relevant. And of course, parents can play the biggest role in preventing children and adolescents from taking drugs.
If you are a parent, you must be aware of your child’s physical and mental well-being, and make sure that they do not become addicted in any way. How to make sure they are safe? Let’s find out!
Why Do Young People Use Drugs?
You first need to know why children and adolescents use drugs. There are a variety of factors behind their drug use. They are first introduced to drugs in a social setting, usually, where drugs are readily available.
In the context of Bangladesh, my country, most of the children and adolescents are get addicted to drugs at school or in their neighbourhood, via their peers.
At a seminar on the problem of drug addiction in the Bangladesh context, organised by the Science and Culture Council of the computer department of Dhaka University this year, it was said that at school-college level , 8% of the students are addicted to drugs.
Also, both adolescent boys and girls are addicted to drugs.
In the context of Bangladesh, the first acquaintance with drugs is mainly through smoking, as cigarettes are very readily available in this country. Children and teenagers can easily buy cigarettes from shops saying they are buying it for adults.
Although many people do not want to accept smoking as a form of drug addiction, a study has found that 98% of the drug addicts in Bangladesh are smokers.
The situation is that many people smoke cigarettes even if they are not attracted to any other drug, and those who use other drugs are more likely to be smokers. So, if someone is a smoker, they are more likely to be addicted to other drugs than a non-smoker.
Drug use in children can be due to feelings of insecurity, or a desire to gain social acceptance. Many also refer to drug use as an “age fault”.
After all, children and adolescents are much more reckless, and they participate in activities without thinking about the consequences. It is this recklessness that can push children and adolescents towards drug abuse.
Risk Factors That May Lead To Drug Abuse
- History of drug use in the family.
- Mental or behavioural conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- The tendency to take emotional or unreasonable risks.
- A history of traumatic events such as witnessing a car accident, or being physically and emotionally abused.
- Fragile self-esteem, or feelings of social rejection.
Consequences Of Child And Adolescent Addiction
The negative consequences of drug addiction in children and adolescents include:
- Drug dependence: Children and adolescents who become addicted to drugs at an early age, are at increased risk of becoming completely addicted to drugs later in life too.
- Weak judgment: There is a connection between drug addiction and loss of judgment. Children and adolescents who are addicted to drugs tend to take wrong decisions over and over again, in their social and personal interactions.
- Unsafe sex: Drug abuse often encourages children and adolescents to engage in risky and unsafe sexual activities, which can lead to unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.
- Mental health damage: If a child or adolescent already has various mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety etc., they may get aggravated as a result of drug addiction.
- Increase in accident rate: Many children and adolescents become interested in risky activities after consuming alcohol and other drugs. For example, many may want to show off their driving skills to others. By doing so, not only are they a threat to themselves, but also to other commuters, or pedestrians, who may be injured or killed in the accident.
- Deterioration of school results: As a result of drug addiction, the mind does is not able to concentrate on studies. One’s memory is affected too. As a result, academic performance tends to decline.
- Physical and mental harm: Drug addiction pushes people towards various physical disabilities and weaknesses, illnesses, and even death. Different types of drugs can have different negative effects on the human body. These include heart attack, stroke, liver failure, heart failure, hallucinations, paranoia, etc.
Talk To Your Children About Drugs
The best way to make children and adolescents aware of any issue, is to talk to them directly and openly. If your child or teenager is not a drug addict, but you are worried about their future, you must talk to them about it.
They should be told about the harmful effects of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs, and why they should not use them.
It would be foolish to expect your child or adolescent to fully understand the evils of drug addiction, and obey you word for word, after just one conversation.
You may need to take part in several conversations with them, And, in this case, you have to choose a time when your discussions won’t be interrupted because of external factors like a phone call or work meeting.
At the same time, you should understand that you should not talk about such a sensitive issue randomly. For example, when you are angry with your child, when you are not ready to answer their questions, or when your child is physically and mentally unbalanced due to the effects of drugs, such a discussion might not be fruitful.
What Should That Conversation Look Like?
- Know their point of view: Do not start giving a lecture because children do not like to listen to lectures. You might want to ask your child what they think about drug use. And, in order to get the truth out of your child’s mouth, you must reassure them that you will not react in an exaggerated way.
- Discuss the reasons for not using drugs: If you are well aware of the harmful aspects of drug use, you should not intimidate your child by saying them over and over again. Because, children and teenagers do not like to be intimidated. On the contrary, if someone intimidates them about something, they might be tempted to see what the fuss is all about. So, you have to fall out of the intimidation trap, and tell them how drug use can harm their studies, sports, health, appearance etc.
- Be aware of the message of the media : Nowadays, from social media to television programs, movies, songs, etc., drug addiction is glamorised. In many cases, drugs are shown to be normal. Such content in the media can sow the seeds of misconceptions about drugs, in the minds of children and adolescents. So, be aware of what kind of content your child is exposed to, and whether they can be harmed by it.
- Teach not to give in to peer pressure: In addition to the dangers of drug abuse, educate your child about peer pressure. Let them know that in the course of life, many kinds of suggestions may come from their friends and colleagues, and they may be pressured to accept them. But, this kind of peer pressure is unacceptable.
- Also, discuss your drug use: You may have been a drug addict before, but now you have given up. Discuss this openly with your child. Tell them why you said goodbye to drugs. If it so happens that you have never been a drug addict, why not share your reasons and personal feelings about the same, with your child.
- Become a role model for your child: It is most important to be a real role model in front of children. If you are involved in a bad job yourself, then naturally, your child will learn to do that by watching you. So, if you are a drug addict yourself, you will not be able to convince your child that drug use is really harmful even after thousands of attempts. Stop using drugs yourself, then present that ideal to your child.
What Else Can You Do To Help Children?
You can do other things to protect your child from drugs, such as:
- Keep a track of your child’s activities, and who they associate with. Get to know your child’s friends well, get to know them well, and make sure they are not bad company.
- Come up with certain restrictions, and explain the rationale behind them to your child. Tell them about the consequences of disobeying these rules.
- Keep a close eye on your child’s prescription. If they have been told to take any medicine, make sure that they are taking only the right dose of those medicines.
- Become a good friend to your child, by extending a helping hand to them whenever they need it. Remember, if they get your emotional support, and if they can deal with their insecurities about their personal, family and social life in a safe manner, their risk of becoming addicted is greatly reduced.
Some Red Flags To Look Out For
If you suddenly see the following behaviors in your child, your child might be addicted to drugs:
- Behaving aggressively.
- Become silent or withdrawing from social interactions.
- Eating and sleeping patterns change.
- Physical changes and a sudden dip in their health.
- Recurrent irresponsible behaviour, poor judgment, and an overall lack of interest.
- Repeatedly disobeying family rules.
- Medicine vials found in their room or belongings despite not having any illness.
Seek Professional Help If You Can
If you begin to suspect or find evidence that your child is addicted to drugs, do the following:
- Talk to them in a calm manner: Find out if they are using drugs, and how long they have been using it for.
- Encourage honesty: If you aren’t convinced by the initial conversation, try to have multiple conversations to find out more about the reasons that first aroused suspicion in your mind. See if you get a satisfactory answer.
- Pay attention to the behavior, not to the person: If you find evidence that your child is actually using drugs, don’t blame your child directly, or refer to them using a negative adjective. Remember, you need to talk their harmful habits and behaviours, and explain to them that those may become more and more harmful in the future.
- Seek the help of a professional: You must seek the help of a professional. It can be a doctor, counsellor or any other healthcare specialist. Work with them to design a treatment plan that works for your child.
Lastly, remember that as a parent you have a responsibility to take care of your child. What you say to your child today might determine their future.
So, whether your child is addicted to drugs or not, start discussing the harmful aspects of drugs with them today. Make sure your child’s future is happy, beautiful and healthy.