Author: Nitin a.
Gokhale in Aizawl
Publication: Outlook
Date: November 6, 2000
Mizoram, the tiny north-eastern
state with a population of barely eight lakh, justifiably prides itself
on being the most literate state in the country-having overtaken Kerala
in the literacy sweepstakes a couple of years ago. But today, the
state faces a situation that's sent alarm bells ringing among its social
and political leaders. The problem: rampant drug abuse among the
youth in the age group of 16-33 years. The statistics are scary.
Consider this:
Since '95, 436 people
have died of drug abuse in Mizoram. In the first eight months of
2000, 98 such deaths have been reported. The figure is increasing.
Of these 436 deaths, only 14 have died due to heroin overdose: the majority
have fallen prey to a new killer. It's called Proxyvon, a painkiller
capsule that's prised open, dissolved in water and then injected for a
high. Experts say the contents of two capsules are enough for intoxication,
anything beyond that is fatal.
Says Lalzuava, the state
excise commissioner, "Due to our bordering Myanmar, you'd have perhaps
expected more heroin abuse in Mizoram, but it's the other way round.
heroin is least preferred." This trend, he says, can be attributed to two
reasons. One, heroin coming in from the infamous 'Golden Triangle'
(Cambodia-Thailand-Laos-Myanmar) merely passes through Mizoram without
being offloaded. And secondly, Proxyvon is dirt-cheap as compared
to heroin. The painkiller is even available in the black market at
Rs 8 or so. In contrast, one gram of heroin costs anything between
Rs 800-1,000. The abuse usually begins early:
* Jonathan, 23, first
took drugs at the age of 11. Today, he's unable to kick the habit.
Both his legs are swollen, with pus and blood seeping through the open
wounds; amputation is a possibility.
* Johnny, 21, son of
an ips officer, began to experiment with drugs as all his friends were
doing so. In the past seven years, attempts by his family and even
his own determined effort to kick the habit have failed.
* David, whose parents
never married, took to drugs as a means of solace from the daily recriminations
at home. He began when he was 12; today, at 25 years of age, he wants
to reform himself since he has a wife to look after now.
These are but three examples.
Social leaders and even politicians are worried that an entire generation
of young Mizos is falling prey to the deadly addiction. Says Zothanpuii,
a volunteer in an ngo called Samaritan, "Most young men and women begin
to experiment out of curiosity and peer pressure. Once hooked, it's
difficult to give up the habit. Thousands of youngsters have fallen
prey to this habit." Zothanpuii, an M.Sc in human development from the
J.D. Birla Institute, Calcutta, decided to come to Mizoram after
having trained at a Calcutta-based ngo specialising in treating drug-related
problems among youngsters. "After all, these are my people.
It's my duty to help them as far as possible," she says. She now
works as a full-time counsellor at the Aizawl branch of Samaritan, which
has its headquarters in Calcutta.
The daycare centre run
by Samaritan has at least 15-20 youngsters dropping in everyday.
"Most primarily come for abscess management since the wounds inflicted
by constant injecting of Proxyvon through infected needles are unmanageable,"
says Farooq, former addict, who is now the programme officer at Samaritan's
Mizoram project. "Some, who want to kick the habit, but don't know
how to, come for counselling," he adds. The daycare centre in fact
acts like a commune for the addicts sans the drugs. "We encourage
them to come here, talk, exchange ideas and air their inner feelings,"
says Zothanpuii.
Experts have identified
three main causes for the increasing drug addiction: easy availability
of drugs; lack of awareness among parents about addiction and increasingly
disturbed family life in urban settings. Others like Farooq see another
problem. In Mizoram, there's nothing that a youngster can do after
sundown. There's no entertainment, no social life and therefore no
outlet for youthful energy. "Invariably, the youth take to drugs
to kill time." Another unspoken but potent reason is prohibition in the
state. Following intense pressure from the church and other social
organisations, Mizoram has been a dry state since '97. Since alcohol
is not officially available, the easiest alternative is to go for Proxyvon,
say social activists.
Shalom (Society for hiv/aids
and Lifeline Operations in Mizoram), another ngo, also provides a similar
place, appropriately called 'Drop-in Centre.' Says Chonpuii, a trained
counsellor with shalom, "Most of these boys and girls do not know whom
to turn to once they get hooked. Our job is to provide them with
different alternatives and also show that there is someone to care for
them. At the Drop-in Centre, we partly attempt to fulfil that need."
Indeed, many of the addicts
come in with a lot of scepticism during their first visit-primarily to
get treated for their wounds. "Gradually, they talk to each other,
play music and at least for those three-four hours forget to take the drug,"
says Chonpuii. At shalom, deputy director and medical officer, Dr
Vanlal Ruata has begun a separate section to treat the abscess wounds of
Proxyvon addicts. "We had to appoint two full-time nurses to cope
with the increasing number of affected boys and girls," he says.
The Drop-in and the daycare centres are of course not enough, given the
magnitude of the problem. They simply can't handle the pressure.
The Presbyterian Church-run hospital at Durtlang, on the outskirts of the
town, attempts to fill the gap by treating the more serious cases.
The K-ward (K for Khawngaihna, which means 'grace') at the hospital is
full of addicts who need surgery. Say Dr R. Sanghluna and Dr
C. Lalhmingliana, who look after the ward, "The most serious cases
are brought here. In some cases, the wounds, due to indiscriminate
use of a syringe on all parts of the body, are so severe that some of them
lose their limbs."
If these hospitals and
daycare facilities act as cure centres, authorities are now looking at
preventive measures too. Says Lalzuava, "The Mizoram Notified Drugs
(Control) Bill, 2000, which is likely to be enacted soon, will enable us
to book offenders who sell and purchase Proxyvon." But many feel that just
legal measures won't be sufficient to overcome the problem. The state
government, realising the seriousness of the problem, has also taken some
steps like constituting a Social Defence and Rehabilitation Board.
Says its chairman C. Sangzuala, mla, "Our main aim is to create public
awareness against drug abuse and provide information on cure and rehabilitation."
The board, set up in July '99 has embarked upon a two-pronged strategy:
one, to launch an awareness campaign through meetings and posters and two,
establish de-addiction centres in various district headquarters of the
state.
Sangzuala is determined
to make the awareness campaign comprehensive by involving the church, social
organisations like the Young Mizo Association and schools. "Unless
we make the students and their parents aware of the dangers of drug addiction,
there cannot be any permanent solution. Unless these drastic measures
are taken, I'm afraid the nucleus of Mizo society will be destroyed," he
says. With an estimated 15,000-20,000 addicts in the state, the challenge
to prevent a further deterioration in the situation is indeed a daunting
one.
