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Article:
Of Drugs and Youth by: Billy I Ahmed Today, the problem of drug abuse among the youth has assumed a greater significance and heightened concern in various socio-cultural and economic strata. Though no accurate figures are available to measure the actual extent of the problem, drug addicts reporting to counseling in the country points out that the problem has spread among various age groups, and much among youths aged 16 to 25 years. The age group in which a youth is, signifies the transformation of an adolescent to a young person, which usually is accompanied with the trials and tribulations of a 'child' in becoming a 'grown-up'. A bundle of exuberant but undirected energy, he derives pleasure in taking risks and experimenting with new things. He craves to taste the 'forbidden fruits' in his quest for attaining recognition and status amongst his peers. Such a behaviour often brings him in open or concealed conflict with his parents and 'parent figures' which leads to the much discussed 'conflict of generations' and 'generation gap'. The situation has been further complicated due to the fast paced social transformation brought in the society by rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and rural-urban migration. It has eroded the traditional, informal, social control mechanisms and has even brought in changes in the structure of the family, from joint to nuclear, or at best an extended family. The 'media explosion' has shrunken the world, especially for the youth, and they are now more aware of things around. This has also raised their level of aspiration and ambition. With materialism, consumerism and individualism gaining ascendancy, modern youth is drifting away from his traditional roots and finds it difficult to cope with ever increasing social pressures. Further, the increasing economic pressures compel more and more parents to take full time employment leaving a child, more so a youth, alone in the house or in the company of friends. With no adequate programmes available to keep them busy, they become easy prey to anti-social activities including drug-abuse. There may be various reasons for a youth to take to drug abuse, from just curiosity and a tendency to experiment with. It may be an expression of his revolt against established authority, a way of gaining recognition in his group or he may just not be able to say 'NO
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