Addiction

In India, just like everywhere  else in the world,  addiction to alcohol, tobacco chewing,  smoking and hard drugs is taking its toll on young people.

Peer pressure and high parental expectation add to the pressure. Not fully realizing that alcohol is also a drug, a teenager may use it  to relax or escape from stress. With time, the abuse of alcohol can give rise to a feeling of inadequacy, lowered self esteem, estranged relationship, impaired reasoning and judgement, dependence and gradual personality deterioration. Even beer, which is often thought to be safe to drink, can impair rational thinking and lead to irrational behavior. It can also be responsible for delayed response time, which may increase the risk of automobile accidents. And there is always the possibility of graduating from beer to stronger stuff. 

And while puffing a cigarette may seem less hazardous and life threatening in youth, a single cigarette is said to reduce the lifespan by 5 minutes. Even if we close our eyes to the long term dangers like cancer and heart disease, what about simple effects like  bad breath and staining of gums and teeth? Staining of gums is reported to be  more in children in homes where someone smokes. These do not help in becoming popular with friends! Smoking also has immediate effect on our lungs, resulting in frequent attacks of cough, possible wheezing, poor stamina and an adverse effect on performance in competitive sports.

The list of risk that  result from the exposure to smoking (active or passive)  includes asthma, middle ear infection, chronic lung disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), hearing defects, lung cancer and heart disease. Smoking is  also linked to low sperm count in males and a 64% increase in miscarriage risk when parents smoke.

Child of about 12 years old have been diagnosed with pre-cancerous lesions in the mouth due to the use of gutka.

Doctor warn that if its sale is not restricted, it could lead to a rapid spread of mouth cancer having a high mortality rate.

Do consider the possibility of addiction, if you find that your so or daughter gets tired easily, has started keeping odd sleeping hours and has a poor appetite. Does not care about your appearance, gets easily annoyed or depressed, shuns company and keeps getting congestion or redness of the eyes. You may also start getting complaints from their school or college. In certain cases, the addiction may even lead to depression and attempted suicide.

But before you start spying on your teenager, keep in mind that  most of the above symptoms can also be found in growing children who either have no major problem or have some physical  or behavioral problem unrelated to  to agents under discussion. Confirmation of addiction should be left to a doctor.

As the addiction grows, withdrawal symptoms can be detected when the addict wakes up.He appears restless, his eyes and nose water,he complains of abdominal cramps and develops diarrhea, vomiting and mental confusion.

Marker Addition

The effects of sniffing glue or markers can vary from a mild alcohol-like intoxication to intense euphoria, which is why kids get addicted to such activities. ... These inhalants starve the brain of oxygen, which provides an instant "rush" as brain activity is forced to instantly slow down.

Whitener Addiction

The pungent smell of whitener   can not only erase print on paper, but also memory from the human brain. The toluene and trychloroethane help to intoxicate and apparently the addicts experience a kick for five to eight hours, depending on the intensity and quantity of the inhalation. 

Fluid addiction is also common. Sniffing - direct inhalation from a container or piece of clothing sprayed with the substance.

fluid

Prevention

As parents, you can play an important role in  curbing such dangerous trends by helping your children develop self-esteem and character from an early age. Encourage them to communicate freely with you on any subject. Provide them the help  to realize their  inner potential. Encourage them to take part in  extra-curricular activities and sports. Teach them the value of health and the need to preserve it to live life daily. There is a strong evidence to indicate that smoking in movie  increases the incidence of teenage smoking. Parents can join groups  to work on this issue.

                                                      "Consult a Psychiatrist."