New Delhi: From an occasional puff or a beer -
youngsters in the country are now stepping up their party
style, causing concern among parents as well as law
enforcement agencies.
Forensic test results on 287 youngsters arrested from the
recent infamous rave party in Pune have rung alarm bells for
everybody. Policemen as well as doctors and parents were all
astonished to find that 249 youths including girls picked up
from the party tested positive for drugs.
"Drug culture among youths is on the rise. What is
surprising is that even school students are now getting into
drugs or substance abuse," says Dr Gautam Bhatia, director,
Sahyog, a rehabilitation clinic here.
Statistics available with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB),
say out of the total 981 kg of heroin seized in 2005-06 from
across the country, 20 percent was from Delhi alone.
"People start off with softer drugs such as marijuana
(ganja) and graduate to higher ones. And thus follows a chain
of abuse," adds Dr Bhatia.
Rave parties that are synonymous with drug abuse are now a
common thing in many cities. Invitations for such parties are
often sent out by word of mouth or through community websites
like in the case of the Pune incident.
From inputs received from across the country,
police officials say there is no culture of rave parties in
their respective jurisdiction.
According to Gopal Hosur, Joint Commissioner, crime,
Bangalore, "We don't get any specific tip-off since the groups
indulging in rave parties are very closed ones and do not
advertise. They have their own internal source of
communication and pass information personally. Hence, it is
difficult to nab them."
Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore among other bigger cities had
been always known for their rave parties and smaller cities
have also caught on to the party mode.
In November last year, police raided a farmhouse near
Jamwaramgarh, Rajasthan the venue of a rave party organised
exclusively for foreign tourists. The raid yielded various
kinds of drugs scattered around.
Likewise, the holy town of Pushkar is also known for rave
parties and if event managers are to be believed such parties
in Pushkar are unofficially organised on full moon nights and
on Saturdays.
One doctor says one of his youngest patients was a class
nine student who was abusing commonly available medical drugs.
A recent study conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University,
Amritsar, has revealed that the drug use pattern has changed
in Punjab. The study found out that prescription drugs,
including painkillers, cough suppressants and pills are more
prevalent.
According to drug and food controller, Kashmir Aslam
Khateeb, "Our department has received a number of complaints
alleging that the youths are using particular drugs. Hence, Wo medical stores asking them not to sell drugs without a valid prescription of doctors.
The age group of drug abusers is
constantly coming down. College students regularly indulge in
drug abuse and quite a few places around colleges are known as
the den for drug supply. A visit to any pool centre near
higher education institutes would reaffirm the fact that drugs
are common among youngsters.
"Getting pot (ganja) is not a big issue here. All one needs
to know is whom to contact," says a young college student in
Delhi. Places like Paharganj, Majnu ki Tila in North Delhi or
even areas near East of Kailash have been a favourite hunting
ground for many students in Delhi eager for their daily
joint.
With ganja (known as the poor man's drug and hence not
monitored enough) selling for as low as Rs 20, it is not tough
to procure them.
College students are not the only ones who are affected
by the drug culture.
Bureau Report