Teens found smoke, alcohol 'cool'
Hyderabad: Summer of 2011 was memorable for Tanay (name changed) and his friends when the group of 12 and 13 year-olds took their first puff and tasted the bitter swig of beer at a friend's birthday bash.
'It was like a rite of passage and birthday parties should account for some fun,' justifies the Class IX student of a prominent school in the city.
A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) in November last year indicated a 100 per cent jump in the number of teenagers drinking alcohol over the last decade.
The study ranks Hyderabad fourth, only after Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, in the prevalence of teenagers consuming alcohol. The numbers provide for a pint of thought for the dangerous trend in young adults in a state which accounts for the highest demand for alcohol.
'Expecting children not to indulge in such habits when the parents themselves smoke or drink is improbable. It is important to inculcate healthy living among children from a young age and the parents have to be discreet about their habits,' says child and adolescent psychologist Jayanti Sunder Rajan.
She recalls an incident where the parents discovered their teenage son doing drugs at his friend's home. When confronted, the friend's parents had said 'it was a part of growing up' and admitted to sharing drinks with their children.
Even the teachers admit that there has been an increase in number of youngsters indulging in smoking and drinking.
'Never before had I caught a girl student for smoking in the school in my 15 years as a teacher! But the last two years have been different as I have observed that girls too indulge in such activities to 'fit in' with their friends,' says M Nandini, a teacher of English at a school in Secunderabad and the student counsellor for the school.
Child psychologist Jayanti observes that girls are more forthcoming for psychiatric counseling in cases of substance abuse than boys.
Access to larger sum as pocket money and lack of accountability are to be blamed, feels the psychologist. 'Kids take money for different purposes from their parents, including recharge.
The parents should monitor what the money is being spent for. Children will have some fun too but it should not take a dangerous turn,' says Jayanti. She adds that the incidents of drinking excessively is more common among young graduate students than those in school.
'We have a packed schedule including classes on weekends. The only time we are free is after 8 pm in the evening. If there are students in intermediate and junior colleges who indulge in such activities, they must be cutting out on academics,' says Abhay, a student of first year intermediate.
While parents realize there is a factor of experimentation which prompts children to engage in risky behaviour, monitoring them becomes difficult.
'My daughter wanted to stay over at a friend's place with other classmates after her board exams ended. While I don't have a problem with this, I had to make sure that they were chaperoned by her friend's parents,' says MK Raju, father of Sharanya, a 10th standard student.
To be counted among the 'cooler group' is priority in young adults' lives. The consequences of actions need to be conveyed to the youngsters in a manner so that they 'listen' rather than being 'preached to'.
News Posted: 31 March, 2012
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