Peer pressure is something no one can escape from. Be it among youngsters or adults, influence from members of one’s peer group is inevitable. Off late, consumption of drugs, especially amongst youngsters seems to be the “i” thing. A senior police officer said that the number of youth in Goa is Ganja users, mostly due to peer pressure. Police have seized ganja in over 80 narcotic cases out of the114 cases, registered till June.
On Saturday, the Corporation of the City of Panaji and Goa Police found 40 packets of cannabis meant for sale, while on a crackdown of migrant street dwellers encroaching on the Parade Ground at Campal. The packets which were hidden inside PWD pipes were seized.
The officer said that Ganja is easily available and most drugs are transported to Goa by train, which is sourced from Mumbai, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and the border districts of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
The police have said that the youth are easily attracted to Ganja, and it starts with one youth getting hooked on to it. He then offers it to his friends and it slowly grows into a group. A few years ago Panaji police had detained a group of minor boys and girls consuming ganja near a high-end society.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Borges, of Human Torch Foundation, which engages youth to address drug abuse in the State, said that though consumption of alcohol was considered to be a favorite among the youth, now it has been overtaken by ganja. “My experience says that most youth who are attracted to ganja are those who have lost their parents, or are working abroad, or have family issues. They have a wrong notion that by taking drugs they can become trendy and popular,” Borges said.
Sources at the TOI reported that Borges had written to the Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant. Borges stated that the administration’s response towards drug abuse has been pathetic given that awareness of illegal drugs, access to them, and their abuse has dramatically increased. He also said that despite gaps in information, there has been an increase in the abuse of major dependence producing drugs in the State.
He said, “It’s time for a Sate Drug Policy. The subject needs an integrated effort with the involvement of all stakeholders, a well-articulated approach based on evidence and commitment of resources.
We hope the authorities are listening and take action against this menace as soon as possible.
Source: TOI | Daily Mail
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