An isolated place, an abandoned structure, a boy in his early teens, desperation evident on his face, unzips his college bag and leaving the few college books within, he extracts a few odd looking instruments and sets them on the ground.
He lights a blow lamp and places the ceramic bowl attached to a skillet upon it. As it reaches the desired temperature a glowing orange hue begins to emerge. He pours a drop of hash oil; the oil starts melting, boils and vaporizes through the water pipe and into his lungs.
He starts “dabbing”. Gradually he relaxes, and the desperation leaves his face. The fumes calm his nerves and he feels relaxed. He is a drug addict. “Dabbing” is a method used to consume hash oil, produced from Cannabis, a product of Marijuana which is also called Ganja in the local lingo.
Dr. Ramila Shekar of School of Social Work – Roshni Nilaya who is also a member of the anti-addiction cell at the college says, “Normally anyone can become an addict, children with a suggestive personality are more prone to become addicts, however when they need help, the attached stigma prevents them from seeking professional assistance in the form of medical treatment and/or counseling and psychotherapy.”
Currently working on a research project at two rural and two urban schools, Dr. Shekar has made sure that her research module covers subjects related to addiction, to do her bit to help children with addiction problems to lead a normal healthy life.
The menace:
Marijuana is a commonly used illegal psychotropic substance produced and sold profusely worldwide. Its sale and use is also rampant in Mangalore, and as a growing and popular educational center, it is widely used among the student community here.
According to police officials, Ganja can be produced very easily in households. It is brought into the city from city’s border with Kerala as also Bijapur and sold outside school and colleges.
It is learnt that drug peddlers trap teenagers and students, as they are easily tempted and once they get the taste of the high they soon get hooked. Unlike alcohol, it is not easy to be discovered too, as it has no odor except when heated. The drug mafia also manipulates peer pressure to add new victims. Police sources say that even students from well known and reputed schools and colleges have fallen prey to this menace.
Speaking to Newskarnataka, City Crime Branch (CCB) Inspector Valentine D’Souza said, “Ganja consumption is very much prevalent around the city, apart from that, there is also a high level of Brown Sugar and Opium also known as Afeem found in the city.”
“Nobody starts drugs to become an addict, in most of the cases initially it is always for fun but soon this fun, turns into an addiction and disassociation becomes difficult”, D’Souza explained.
Referring to a recent case reported on June 15, 2014 when a drug peddler was trying to sell Ganja at a meagre Rs 100 outside Srinivas College in Padavi, D’Souza said that this is a strategy employed by the peddlers to entice the students with a small amount. Later, with time the demand of the drug reaches impossible levels, and this is when, the peddler raises the cost and makes his profit. Further, he asks his target to indulge his friends and lures him into his net with extra drugs or money.
Reportedly one kg of Ganja may cost a peddler around Rs 5000, and it is usually bought in bulk ranging from five to ten kgs, however it is sold at a very high rate to retail consumers.
Curbing the menace:
Inspector D’Souza said that under the Commissioner’s guidance the police department is working hard towards curbing the menace. He said, “If a drug user is caught, usually a background check is done, and we see whether he is a first-timer or a habitual offender . If he is a first timer, we provide him with proper counseling, guidance and excuse him. However if he is a habitual offender, the culprit is booked. The crime is a non-bailable offence and the offender can be held for 2 or more years with a fine. Even if bail is acquired under circumstances, the trial may start within 6 months”, he said.
With regard to the initiatives taken by the district administration to curb the menace, D’Souza said that the district administration has made several efforts to increase awareness and inform the police authorities when information comes to its notice. However as it is a crime related subject thus most of the authority and responsibility lies with the police, to curb it.
When asked about the procedure after seizure, the CCB Inspector said that once the drugs are seized, they are taken into custody and then produced in the court after the laboratory test (FSL test).
Accordingly, every police station in the city has a separate section for Narcotics, which collectively give information to the crime branch. The Commissioner’s office too, has a separate Narcotics Cell, which is sparsely staffed and therefore most of the raids are carried out by the crime branch itself.
Considering the target of the drug mafia – students and the growing menace, it is important that the city gets an exclusive, well staffed and well equipped narcotics cell.
Mangalore has a long way to go to win the battle with narcotic substances. And as the city administration, grapples with the peril in its own limited bureaucratic way, the number of young drug addicts keeps rising. Fortunately, the city has several people and NGO’s helping it fight this menace through awareness campaigns in schools and colleges.
