In a shocking finding, 96.4% of students in Meghalaya have been reported to be using tobacco, with Nagaland at 95.8% and Sikkim at 93.1%, highlighting an alarming trend revealed by Dr. Sandi Syiem, Director of SAN-KER. The revelation came at a drug-awareness session held by the Shillong All Faith Forum (SAFF) in collaboration with SAN-KER.
Dr. Syiem, according to local reports, emphasized the need of treating addiction concerns among children by presenting data on detecting addicts, intervention approaches, and the importance of breaking through denial to acknowledge the negative consequences of substance misuse.
During the program, Dr. Syiem's presentation addressed identifying addicts, intervention methods, and breaking through denial to make individuals recognize the adverse consequences of substance abuse.
The awareness event featured two recovering addicts who shared their experiences, underscoring the importance of moral support from society and the community.
Highlighting the global perspective on the 'War on Drugs'
Dr. Syiem referred to the Global Commission on Drug Policy's declaration of its failure. He urged an end to the stigmatization of drug addicts and emphasized the need to treat addiction as a disease.
A study supported by the National Institutes of Health suggests that, in India, nearly 1 in 10 adolescents in the age group 13–15 years have ever smoked cigarettes and almost half of these report initiating tobacco use before 10 years of age as tobacco is easily accessible and legally available.
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