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Govt to study drug abuse pattern among street kids

“There is no estimate on the number of street children using drugs in Delhi"

Updated - September 22, 2016 09:15 pm IST - NEW DELHI:

NEW DELHI, 13/09/2010:DIGGING HIS OWN GRAVE: Homeless children indulge in all anti-social activites. Shelterless boy addicted to drug abuse in  Delhi on September 13, 2010.
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

NEW DELHI, 13/09/2010:DIGGING HIS OWN GRAVE: Homeless children indulge in all anti-social activites. Shelterless boy addicted to drug abuse in Delhi on September 13, 2010. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Delhi Women and Child Minister Sandeep Kumar has confirmed that his department will undertake a comprehensive study on patterns of drug and substance abuse in street children. The Ministry is looking at collaborating with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in this regard.

The department explained the rationale behind undertaking this ambitious project stating that “there is no estimate on the number of street children using drugs in Delhi. Though some recent information on Delhi’s street children is available, the results cannot be used to project or estimate their numbers. Moreover, methodological difficulties involved in dealing with this population are a challenge.”

Based on the findings, study results will be able to highlight the need for initiating programmes for prevention and treatment intervention for substance use in street children. The study will help identify issues that will help guide the development of an intervention for this population.

Overall, the present proposed study will help the Department of Women and Child Development to better understand the current situation and address the risk factors that contribute to substance abuse among street children as well as address the gaps in treatment needs.

Under the proposal, all nine districts will be studied for drug-using street children. Respondent-driven sampling will be used to recruit street children using drugs and the “multiplier method” will be used to estimate the number of such children in each district. This methodology has been successfully used in various studies in the country for a size estimation of the population of injecting drug users in Haryana and Punjab.

“The process will include identifying and selecting non-government organisations and government organisations that provide services for street children. An initial recruitment and interview of some drug-using children as ‘seeds’ will be carried out by an NGO,” the proposal noted.

Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development. Any substance abuse at this age is likely to interfere with normal child development and may have a lasting impact on the future life.

“The adolescence is a difficult period in the life of an individual, characterised by the need to achieve autonomy from elders, establish self-identity, gain acceptance among peers and other stresses,” noted the Minister.

The study will help identify issues that will help guide the development of an intervention for this population

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