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Dimapur, Nov. 7 (EMN): As part of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) campaign, the ARK Foundation with support from the department of Social Welfare conducted a webinar on ‘Substance use and prevention’ with the Sociology students of St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama and Riverbelt School, Dimapur on November 6 and the 7th respectively through a virtual connection.
President of ARK Foundation Ketho Angami, who moderated both the programmes, defined substance use as “any substance when taken in turn modifies the person’s well being,” an update from ARK Foundation stated.
He expressed concern to note that many youngsters are initiating some substances which are termed as “gateway drugs” such as sniffing of dendrites, use of tobacco and nicotine products, and other inhalant. He stated that introduction to those gateway drugs would results in forming a chronic dependency habit and into harder drugs.
He attributed multiple reasons such as curiosity, peer pressure, frustration, experimental, recreational purpose, while other factors like poor upbringing, inferior complexity, and easy availability as a reason for taking drugs.
Other concern is the rampant use of pharmaceutical drugs in the form of cough syrup, which are addictive in nature. He cautioned that once a person reaches the dependency stage, numerous problems would erupt mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Harmful effects of substance use, according to him, include tension, argumentative, lack of trust, avoidance and incidence of violence in the family. He added that such persons are likely to lose friends, jobs, drop-out from educational careers or poor performance besides loss of interest in hobbies, risk of pre-matured deaths, poor physical health, financial instability and legal implications.
He also mentioned that primary prevention is the key to management and prevention of substance abuse. He urged the participants to create awareness on harmful effects of drug use among the people and not to ever get introduced into substance use and also to get treatment through rehabilitation for those who are already in the addictive stage.
He concluded his presentation by urging the participants to prevent themselves from being introduced to the ‘first substance use’ experience, know the drug hazards, associate with healthy friends, avoid using gateway drugs like tobacco products, inhalants, alcohol, avoid concerts, parties, picnics associated with substance use, spend free time fruitfully and meaningfully, make healthy decision, and to enhance one’s coping skills such as tolerance and understanding.
In his message to the students of Riverbelt School, Angami shared that substance use and progressing to abuse mode of habit is a disease which could be lethal and life threatening for many.
Stating that there have been many deaths reported because of alcohol and other substance abuse, he urged the students to keep themselves away from such habit by never getting introduced to it.
He said that student life is the time where their core responsibility is to study and achieve education. He cautioned that if young people starts to get indulge into such illegal habit, their future would be destroyed by drugs. His main message to the students was “Say no to drugs” in any form.