Rehabiliated drug abusers help combat drug menace

Aizawl, Nov 26 (UNI) Mizo youth, who themselves had suffered being drug abusers and now rehabilitated, are helping others of their ilk to rid of the clutches of the menace and lead a normal life.

''I know how hard it is. I've suffered immensely. It was very difficult to break free from the drugs,'' Robert(28), a drug user previously, said as he recalled those ''scary days and sleepless nights ''in the rehabilitation centre.

''The workers in the field are of the view that rehabilitated drug abusers are the best counsellors as they understand the problems of drug addicts and can help them in recovering,'' Dr Lalsangliani, director of SHALOM, the biggest rehabilitation centre in the state, told UNI.

''They understand the psyche of the druggies very well,'' she added.

Dr Sangliani, who also works with SHALOM, said about 80 per cent abusers have been able to overcome this problem.

Betheny Health Centre co-ordinator B K Reshma said these former drug addicts work in these centres as peer educators.They guide and counsel them about the cons of drugs and their use.

It has been a decade and more that the state has been tormented by the problem of drug abuse especially Spasmo Proxyvon (SP), a prescription pain-killer, sources said.

The latest statistics given by State Aids Control Society (MSACS) during a survey said there were about 30,000 illegal drug users across the state of which 7.33 per cent were women.

The survey further revealed that Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) made a total one-third of the total figure.

The forested hills and sleepy villages of the state between Myanmar and Bangladesh, are home to the growing menace and rapid spread of HIV/AIDS.

The recent anti-drug drives in this region had icreased the price of heroin after which the drug abusers have taken up a new practice of injecting SP into their veins, sources said.

'' The powder inside the SP capsules is not soluble. It sticks to the walls of the veins, causing massive abscesses, gangrene and even amputations,'' says additional health director Dr Baruah.

Several youngsters, who practised this method of drug abuse, are found to be infected with HIV, Dr Baruah said.

Somtea (26) and his wife Irene, who were infected with HIV by this method, became the first couple to publicly announce that they were HIV-positive.

They were now the active members of Mizoram network of positive people, where they educate the young drug abusers about the dangers of HIV virus.

North East India Harm Reduction Network (NEIHRN) campaign co-ordinator R K James informed that about 80 per cent of the HIV/AIDS patients in NE states were drug users.

The Young Mizo Association (YMA) also claimed that though the massive crusade against drugs, since January 2005, had not eradicated the menace but the availability of contraband had decreased drastically during this one year.

UNI SNR PP YA HT1109