dna exclusive: Children 'glued' to inhalants as drugs

Your neighbourhood stationary shop might be unwittingly providing children with drugs, a nationwide survey of almost 4,000 kids has revealed.

Glue and correction fluid, available legally at all stationery shops, are being used by children as young as 12, who inhale these substances to experience the rush of drugs.

The survey conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights found that 35.1% kids with a history of substance abuse use such inhalants regularly. While the use of tobacco (83.5%), alcohol (67.5%) and cannabis (35.3%) is more rampant, it is also more difficult for minors to get their hands on these.

What makes inhalants more dangerous is the fact that, on an average, children who are addicted use them for 23 days in a month. Tobacco is the only substance that is used more frequently - almost 26 days in a month.

The findings are based on a survey of 3,964 minors with a history of substance abuse across 29 states. These include children in schools, dropouts as well as homeless kids. Girls constitute 4.3% of the total respondents. Expected to release this month, it is the first nationwide survey on such a scale.

Inhalants, such as correction fluid, are often used as a cheap alternative to mood-altering drugs. They put addicts at the risk of brain damage, and can cause muscle weakness, depression, headaches, nosebleeds and loss of sense of smell and hearing.

Other drugs being used by those surveyed included pharmaceutical opiods (18.3%), injectables (12.8%), heroin (7.9%), sedatives (7.8%), opium (4.7%) and injectables (12.8%).

Substance abuse in the family, conflict in the family, history of physical and verbal abuse are some of the factors associated with substance abuse.

Worryingly, 43.7% of those surveyed thought they did not have a substance abuse problem and 68.1% had never sought help. “Which is why we have recommended in our report that there should be specialised treatment services for children using substances in government-run and NGO-funded de-addiction centres,” said a member of the panel that conducted the survey.