What lures your child to drug abuse

“Family problems, peer pressure, conduct disorder, high risk behaviour, love failure and relationship breakup are some of the main causes of drug abusing, said Dr Jaya Madhuri, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Shadan College.

Elaborating on the same, she says, “It’s become a norm to leave a child alone especially when parents are busy and cannot give adequate time to their wards.

To compensate for their ‘lack of physical presence’ most parents give money to children. Their intentions might be pure, but one does not prepare for consequences of giving money to an irresponsible little one.”

“Some other children, unfortunately, lack the love of parents. They crave attention and focus and are lured towards drugs – they’re only looking for an escape,” says the doctor.

“Although, it doesn’t mean that the parents are to blame, but every action has a consequence. One must be wary,” she advices.

“Sometimes, even though family support is good, there are friends who blackmail and pressurise one to take drugs. Drug abusing normally starts as a group activity,” explains Dr Madhuri.

Parents must be wary of their wards’ conduct. “Below 18-year-age group people who indulged in theft, college bunking, and illegal activities have more chances of drug abusing. They start with cigarette smoking, alcohol and cannabis and reach out to narcotic drugs,” says the doctor.

A lot of times, children mimic their elders. “If members of family or immediate relatives have the habit of smoking and taking alcohol, children may fallow them.Starting of smoking and alcohol is a gateway to the drug abusing,” she says.

“There are children (and adults) whoare ready to take risk and they have no fear about anything; they don’t care about the consequences. It is their tendency that they always want high level of enjoyment.

They take drugs to experience more enjoyment. Even after explaining the consequences of the drugs they don’t care,” elaborates the doctor.

For teenagers, it is mostly about failure in relationships. “When there isa break up between young lovers, mostly men get depressed. To cope up with the emotional trauma and pain they indulged drug abuse,” she explains.

If your ward is showing one or more of these behavioural traits, the doctor advices parents to talk to them about their problems and find out for sure whether they are abusing drugs or not.