After several attempts to quit his habit of smoking and drinking, 35-year-old Girish R., an auto-rickshaw driver from Begur in Bommanahalli, turned up at an awareness programme on de-addiction organised by NIMHANS on Wednesday.
He was one of 150 drivers from Koramangala, Jayanagar and Bommanahalli who participated in the programme on the “Impact of Substance Abuse and Benefits of Treatment for auto-rickshaw drivers.”
“When I learnt about this programme, I thought I must give it a try. I now know that there is a helpline at Nimhans where I can call and seek help,” he said.
Organised by the Department of Psychiatric Social Work in collaboration with National Institute of Social Defence, New Delhi and Peace Auto-rickshaw Union, Bengaluru along with other unions, the programme was aimed primarily at preventing substance use among drivers and sensitising them to identify an individual with substance abuse. The programme also focussed on enabling facilitation of treatment for individuals with substance abuse.
Sojan Anthony, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, said the aim was to counsel and train around 300 autorickshaw drivers. Another awareness programme will be held on October 19 for 150 drivers from the central business district, he said.
After the ban on smoking tobacco in public places, many drivers have become addicted to chewing tobacco products. Use of tobacco products, alcohol in large quantity coupled with poverty have been causing major challenges to their health and safety. Reported cases of crime are also mainly secondary to their consumption of alcohol, the doctor explained.
Nimhans Director B.N. Gangadhar said many of the drivers, who hail from lower socio-economic families, are socially vulnerable to addiction disorders. Hence, awareness programmes would help them and people who are in contact with them.
