If we traverse back to the 17th century,
childhood wasn’t seen as a phase in the lives of individuals – children were
seen as mini adults. There were no elaborate differences in the way in which children
behaved, dressed or involved themselves in various social obligations when
compared to adults. The normative social
influence was such that they were socialised to become adults since the very
beginning – so a five year old was expected to “act like an adult”. The French
Revolution made major ideological contributions to the society and the thinkers
belonging to this period produced grand and abstract systems of rational ideas.
Philosophers such as John Locke expressed that children are born with a blank
mind and if and only if they are provided with an environment conducive for
their cognitive development and enrichment would they grow up to become
rational adults, who would then contribute to the society in a positive way.
As we stepped into the modern world –where calculated utilitarian and
forward-moving modes of personal and social life prevail – we aimed
towards the creation of a utopian society where every need is addressed – but unfortunately
that has not happened. Childhood did attain a definition and was seen as a
distinct phase in the life of individuals. People
started protecting the sanctity of children’s innocence and in certain religions
they were seen as messengers of god. A demarcation was laid between what is
appropriate or inappropriate for children – so as to channel their emotions in
the right way. Similarly, lines
were drawn between the
expected behavior between children and adults with both being expected to
adhere to the societal norms along with sanctions to curb any deviant acts.
In present times where there are several factors that act
as deterrents in the path towards the holistic growth of children – substance
abuse is one of the major concerns that needs to be addressed. Yes, although
the social setups make it seem that it is the individual who is responsible for
their own fate the story of the processes that shaped our world tell a
different tale. As the global economy grew in leaps and bounds – so did the
disparity amongst people. A few fortunate people who were already placed in
privileged positions consolidated theirs and the ‘have nots’ gradually lost
what they had. With industrialisation and urbanisation leading to an influx of
rural population in cities along with an ever growing middle class – a plethora
of individuals were rendered vulnerable to the strains of modern life. The
people existing on the very peripheries of our society were left in extreme
isolation and were inevitably pushed into a downward spiral of substance abuse
– because they wanted something to live for – and sadly, that something is a
temporary euphoria. A large segment of this population belongs to the age group
of 4-15 years. The cost? Everything.
Does development mean nothing? India has witnessed a five-time increase in drug hauls over three years, from 2011 to 2013, and has become a major market for illicit opiates from South East and West Asia, according to the World Drug Report 2014. The following inforgraph classifies why children are being lured into substance abuse which not only makes them economically endangered but also has adverse effects on their mental and physical health.
Enactus SRCC conducted an online poll, asking people what according to them is the cause of substance abuse. The results are as follows.
There are many other factors that push children
into using drugs – be it cultural influences, take for example the 70s ‘psychedelic’
era where the consumption of recreational drugs was seen as “hip” which made an
enormous amount of youngsters smoke spliff just for fitting into an image or
the lack of ambition due to improper guidance by adults during the formative years.
Drug abuse is a severe problem and the existence of highly powerful drug-dealing cartels makes the war against it a very difficult one. Between the web
of policies that curb the problem and the mafias that amplify it – we are losing something innocent
and beautiful. We are not only losing out on our demographic dividend and the
millions of aspirations that wither away – we are losing childhood, that
silently rushes past – as a ghost – trying to get a fix for the night. On days
when there isn’t any – it smothers silently. Why? Because we aren't listening.
Written by Ilakshi and Meghna Jayaraj
Edited by Rai Sengupta
