Signs your child is hooked to dangerous drugs
A recurrent experience at a drug rehabilitation centre in Nairobi still haunts me. It occurred to me that drug abuse had stretched to all types of homes, neighbourhoods and schools.
I also learnt that many children on drugs are quiet, reliable, conservative, and well mannered, but they are also easily influenced and like pleasing others.
Take this from me, just because this nightmare has never sneaked into your family is no assurance that it never will.
The drug rehabilitation counsellor who invited me was right that unless one participated in the daily group discussions held by recovering addicts, they would never know the magnitude of the problem and how difficult it is for anyone to grapple with drug addiction, least of all a child. I had to pretend to be on drugs for members to accept me in their discussion.
What struck me most was that the youngest in the group was a 13-year-old boy. And if you pictured in your mind, like I had, that his family lives in some slum, you are wrong. They live in one of the leafy suburbs of Nairobi; his parents are well educated and hold high level jobs.
He confessed to have had a good education, attended church every Sunday with his family and was generally well-behaved. Then what went wrong, I wondered?
Since the age of nine, his father openly smoked cigarettes and together with his wife, they drank from the bar in their house. This gave him the impression that there was nothing wrong with smoking or drinking alcohol. He started by picking cigarettes butts his father dropped and, before long, he could not do without a puff.
Emulating the parents
As psychiatrists reveal, children learn to abuse drugs from their parents because they are wont to emulate them. This boy’s case was the ideal example. He said: “I watched my father smoke and it appeared very exciting as he exhaled the smoke. I was sucked into it. I didn’t see any harm in that”.
I wondered how many parents are unknowingly contributing to their children’s drug habits, especially those who keep and drink alcohol in the house.
A research conducted among students in high schools in New York found that the major influence on whether a student might use drugs was parental habits. The survey designed specific questions to determine how frequently parents smoked cigarettes, took alcohol or other drugs such as sleeping pills, and argued in front of their children. Drinking habits of parents had the greatest effect — specifically how many bottles or glasses the parents drink and how often they got drunk. The drinking habits of mothers had greater influence on children.
A pill for every problem
How a parent handles his or her anxieties and frustrations contributes significantly to how a child perceives such problems should be resolved. If, for instance, a parent runs to the medicine cabinet when faced with a crisis, the child learns that every problem can be fixed with a pill. If a child sees his mother or father swallow pills every night to induce sleep, or take alcohol whenever they are stressed up, chances are high that the child will copy this behaviour.
On the other hand, we are bombarded with media messages offering drugs and medicines to cure the most insignificant of symptoms of real or imagined illnesses or to provide escape from reality. This subtly ingrains in the child’s mind the notion that there should be a chemical solution for all life’s problems, including pain, boredom and anxiety. Young children are usually conditioned by what they see on TV.
Need for acceptance
Psychiatrists agree that children or teenagers who take drugs usually display severe emotional problems. That explains why young people with emotional problems, those who feel alienated, or are grappling with day-to-day difficulties may feel inclined to join drug-oriented groups in which they can find acceptance. It is important, therefore, to ensure your child is emotionally secure. It assures him or her of parental love and that they are always there for him or her.
Warning signs
Addicted persons usually have needle marks on arms or legs.
Red, watery eyes; small pupils in the eyes; furtive glances and chronic drowsiness.
Marked restlessness with body spasms and a tendency to walk fast.
Easily upset stomach; uncontrollable giddiness; ulcerous sores on arms, legs and body.
Strong body odour, habitual dizziness; obvious mental and physical deterioration, depression and despondency; persecution complex and chronic sleepiness;
Loss of interest in school; inability to concentrate on studies and disinterest in athletics or other forms of exercise.
Irritability; telling of stupid lies and refusal to talk because they are preoccupied with self.
Way forward
A good drug education program as part of the curriculum from nursery school to secondary school is essential. One of the counsellors leading the group discussion during our visit to the rehabilitation said he has never visited a school in Kenya where at least a teacher, staff, pupil or student is not on drugs!
He has helped children who started taking alcohol or smoking cigarettes when only eight years of age, then graduated to bhang and other hard drugs.
The most disheartening news is how children influence each other into taking drugs. Undoubtedly, if our children are to be protected from drugs as early as possible, then a good drug education as part of the curriculum is a must.
On the other hand, the value of strong family relationship where members respect and love each other cannot be overemphasised. Mutual respect gives new meaning to the home situation so that the child matures in a healthy environment.
In addition, parents must set good examples to their children. Thus, drug prevention starts with you as a parent.
Published on the Standard on 01/08/2009
