Kerala jail authorities have reported a significant increase in the number of inmates aged between 18 and 30. These inmates, authorities say, have been arrested under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, drug peddling, POCSO, attempt to murder, as well as vandalising. This has been traced to the increasing use of drugs and abusive substances among the state’s teenage population, which affects their mental stability. Authorities have reported drug abuse by children aged between 12 and 15. This, they say, leads to development of criminal tendencies.
Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh had created a storm in 2016 when he warned that Kerala could find itself in the same situation as Punjab in about five years in drug trafficking and abuse. His remark was prompted by the findings of the National Crime Records Bureau. As far back as in 2017, the incidence of drug abuse in Kerala was 16.6 per lakh population, second only to Punjab’s 20.2 lakh.
According to S Santhosh, deputy Inspector General of Prisons and Correctional Services, the number of people aged 50 and above booked for these offences are very few.
Drug abuse among schoolchildren has been growing at an alarming rate in Kerala. According to reports, over 80 per cent of offenders booked in this category are schoolchildren.
Schoolchildren are lured to use narcotics and eventually become part of the supply chain. The children are also aware of ways to escape from being caught.
Police say that the drugs are distributed in small packets. This facilitates easy handling and helps avoid the law if caught. The use of beedi and cigarettes filled with ganja is also said to be common among children.
Often such cases go unreported as parents and school authorities are concerned about the future of the students.
Authorities caution parents to be mindful of any behavioural changes among children. Addiction, they say, results in a loss in interest in studies, as substance abuse affects the parts of the brain related to thinking, concentration, time consciousness and happiness.
