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Young Women in Kashmir Try to Beat Addiction to Sniffing Glue
Sana Altaf | February 15, 2012

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Srinagar, India. Teenage girls and women are increasingly turning into substance abusers and addicts in India’s northern Kashmir state.

That young women and college-going girls are abusing substances is testified to by officials at the de-addiction center run by the police control room in Srinagar, the regional capital.

Toluene abuse, or “glue sniffing,” has become widespread because the chemical is readily found in paints, petrol, varnishes, lacquers, paint thinners, adhesives, glues, rubber cement and shoe polish.

“The abuse of toluene is getting to be very common in Kashmir because it is easily available,” said Dr. Areeb Malik at the police de-addiction center.

“Getting other drugs is a bit more difficult for girls than buying ink remover or polish,” said Malik, adding that females as young as 13 had been diagnosed as addicts.

Doctors say the major causes for drug addiction among girls are peer pressure, stress, family disputes, perceived failure in life, examination stress, love affairs and psychiatric disorders.

What authorities at the police de-addiction center find worrisome is the total lack of facilities for female drug addicts.

Female addicts may seek consultation at the center, but they are then left to their own devices. “We prescribe medicines to female addicts, but they are never kept under complete supervision, which is most important for de-addiction,” Malik said.

Typically, female drug addicts do not come back after the first consultation, Malik continued, adding that the doctors were always uncertain if they were following prescriptions or if they had given up drugs.

Besides the lack of facilities, social stigma restricts women from seeking rehabilitation or treatment.

“Keeping in view the social stigma [that] female drug addicts face, it is important to set up a de-addiction centers for them,” said Sameena, a 22-year-old college student and former drug addict.

Sameena said she began sniffing glue “for fun” during her school days and then moved on to opiates. Fear of social stigma and lack of facilities forced her parents to take her outside Kashmir for treatment.

Mohsin Ali, an official at the stress management cell of the police de-addiction center set up in February last year, said 298 calls were received from drug addicts up to November 2011, including 11 from females.

“We once received a call from a teenage girl who said she, along with 18 of her female friends, wanted to quit drugs. But we never heard from them after that,” Ali said.

Yasir Ahmad, a social worker at the center, said there was a need for de-addiction centers devoted to treat both males and females. “There was a time when Kashmir had one addict from each district, but now there are more than one in a single family.”

The state health department does not gather or maintain data on the status of drug addiction in Kashmir, adding to the worries.

“The direct impact of addiction is social disintegration. It splits families, friends’ circles and subsequently society. It is commonly known that addicts live in isolation,” said A.G. Madhosh, a psychologist and former professor at the University of Kashmir.

Inter Press Service