Hindustantimes of Indian reported last week that according to drug-abuse experts, statistics are showing youth drug addiction has risen drastically in India over the last few years.  One such expert is psychologist Rahul Chandok of the Batra Hospital, who said “The number of students smoking marijuana to beat stress has gone up considerably in the past few years. Students with an experimental zeal are more prone to intoxicants like weed and hash.”  Some experts are saying that kids as young as 13 and 14 in India are regularly partaking in such behaviors.

Nonetheless, the UN is taking preventative measures to curb youth drug addiction in India by implementing a school-based, awareness and education program designed specifically for youths, called G86.  Thus far, the G86 project has already had 200 public and government schools commit to participating in their “I Decide — I will not take drugs” campaign.  The program mainly targets middle-schoolers but also involves parents by sending informative brochures home with kids.

It seems that the effort to reach out to parents is considered crucial by expert like Deepak Raheja, who heads the Hope Foundation, which works in the recovery community and commonly sees addicted kids.  Raheja often shared his sentiments in the article, saying “abuse can lead to various behavioural changes in children. They need to rekindle essential values that can save children from deadly consequences.”