Substance abuse among school kids alarming: ASP Hasby
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Churachandpur, August 25 2022:
In a startling revelation that would make the parents extremely worried, there have been increasing instances of substance abuse among school going children as young as Class III.
This was stated by Churachandpur Investigative Units for Crime Against Women (IUCAW) additional SP Hasby Haokip while speaking as the resource person of a seminar on 'Combating Child Trafficking' held on Thursday at the Conference Hall of DC's Office, Mini-secretariat, Churachandpur.
The discourse was organised by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with SCPCR and Churachandpur district administration in commemoration of the World Day Against Human Trafficking observed on July 30 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
Hasby stated that the number of trafficked victims is even higher in reality than the actual reported cases from every nook and corner of the district.
"We try our best to prevent human trafficking but there are instances where we have to rescue trafficked persons," she said.
Children who were recruited as child soldier and/or being kept in different orphanage homes for education purpose is not seen as 'child trafficking by the parents," she added.
Apart from child trafficking, substance abuse and drug addiction is a major problem in Churachandpur, she said, while seeking the cooperation of all for a collective fight against the menace of drug abuse as drugs have penetrated even to class 3 students.
Speaking on the occasion, ADC Khaikhopau Ngaihte pointed out that traffickers prey on unguarded families by making false promises of a new job, augmented income, better living conditions and financial support.
Given the complex nature of the problem, there seems no simple solution because many of the cases are not even reported to the authority concerned, he added.
The ADC also encouraged the locals to come out and report such cases and assured that informers' identity will not be revealed if they preferred so.
Churachandpur AC to DC Zousanglur Joute, Special Juvenile Police Units, Child Welfare Police officers, Child Welfare Committee (CWCs) Juvenile Justice Board members and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) attended the event among others.