Ogres preying on children

Monday 19th December, 2022

The mere mention of ‘ice’ sends a chill down one’s spine, for it has become the street name for the dangerous drug, crystal methamphetamine, which comes as clear crystals like frozen water; many young Sri Lankans and even schoolchildren are already addicted to it, we are told. The youngest ‘ice’ addict here is only eight years old, according to Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe of the National Institute of Mental health. This is an alarming trend.

Thankfully, the police have stepped up drug busting ops, which are yielding impressive results. They deserve praise and encouragement. More than 10,500 persons have been arrested with 109 kilos of ‘ice’ so far this year, according to the police. About 45,800 suspects have been nabbed with 1,441 kilos of heroin during the same period. There is however reason to believe that we have been scratching the surface of the problem.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) of Australia has explained why ‘ice’ is highly addictive; it is a stimulant drug, meaning that it speeds up messages travelling between the brain and the body. Also known as crystal meth, shabu, crystal, glass and shard, ‘ice’ is generally smoked, injected, swallowed or snorted, the ADF says.

The Education Ministry and the police have launched a joint programme to check school bags, and this will help prevent ‘ice’ from finding its way into schools to a considerable extent. But much more needs to be done. Drug dealers can prey on children anywhere.

The Education Ministry must take steps to relieve stress among schoolchildren and ensure that every school has a counsellor to help students with their problems. Mental health and dental health are usually neglected in this country.

Most students are without anyone to turn to when they experience psychological problems, which are common among them. They lead very stressful lives. Examinations have become agonisingly difficult and stressful. The state universities cannot cater to the increasing demand for higher education, and the demand for popular schools is also on the rise. The solution is not to make the GCE A/L examination and the Grade Five Scholarship Examination even more difficult but to develop the university system and schools.

The need for a multipronged strategy to deal with the drug menace in schools as well as in society at large cannot be overstated. Prevention is half the battle in breaking the back of the problem. The authorities engaged in the country’s anti-narcotic campaign must not lose sight of the gateway effect of smoking on substance abuse.

Publications of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, (NIDA), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, a national medical research agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services, have pointed out that adolescent initiation of nicotine products is associated with future substance use; nicotine triggers changes in the adolescent brain, which alter reward processing and encourage future drug use. The NIDA researchers have concluded that increasing collaboration, resources, and education about the risks of teen nicotine use may contribute to decreases in addiction and drug-related emergencies. It is against this backdrop that the new anti-tobacco laws passed by the New Zealand parliament should be viewed. They ban cigarettes for future generations; anyone born after 2008 will be banned from purchasing cigarettes or other tobacco products. These laws are admirable and worthy of emulation. Sadly, in Sri Lanka, greedy politicians have shelved the Tobacco Taxation Formula prepared by the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) with the help of the World Health Organization, in 2021.

NATA Chairman Prof. Samadhi Rajapaksa has called for the implementation of the proposed tax formula forthwith, and his call must be heeded. Parents, teachers and all others who feel for the safety of children must bring pressure to bear on the government to implement the new tobacco taxes immediately.

It is being claimed in some quarters that the government is using the ongoing anti-narcotic operations to distract public attention away from its failures and blunders, which are legion. There is some truth in this claim, but the focus of the people must be on the scourge of drugs, as well.

Crises are godsends for the ‘merchants of death’ such as the producers of narcotics, liquor and cigarettes because people tend to rely on their products to reduce stress and anxiety, albeit in vain. The blame for the unprecedented increase in drug addiction among schoolchildren should be laid at the feet of those who have been in power during the past several decades, especially the leaders responsible for the current crisis. The least they can do by way of making amends is to introduce tougher anti-narcotic laws to protect the youth and children and give the police a free hand to deal with the drug Mafia.