Shillong, November 01: Even as the International Drug Users� Day was observed today highlighting the evil of drug menace, a worrying case for Shillong is the alarming trend of street children becoming potential drug agents, according to The Shillong Times.

The daily paper said that there are several instances of street children who took recourse to dendrite and other mild forms of drugs.

Activists dealing in the drug addiction and street children have aired their concern on the possibilities of street children becoming drug peddlers.

According to June Warbah, the Project Manager of FXB, an NGO dealing with these issues, there is a possibility of street children becoming drug peddlers just to earn some easy money doing this job.

Peddlers view street children as potential means of marketing and transporting drugs and lure them by letting them get hooked to the drug or giving them a share in the sale of goods, Ms Warbah said.

She fears that these vulnerable children, who have no security, might fall into the trap of drug addiction.

According to the counsellors, dendrite sniffing besides others, is an increasing trend amongst school going children.

project director of New Hope Cordellia Laloo also aired similar concern for the street children, who come from poverty-stricken families and have no guidance, become an easy prey for drug peddlers, quoted the daily.

According to Ms Laloo, the peddlers let the children use the drug; in return the children become peddlers in order to sustain the supply of drugs for their use.

However, Childline counsellor Ms Iba Synrem believes that at the tender age of ten to twelve years, street children are not potential drug peddlers, but expressed skepticism on the same once they cross the age of 15.There is a possibility of street children becoming drug peddler when they reach 16-17 years, as these children are vulnerable, she said.

According to Ms Synrem, drug peddlers find children of well to do families as an easy prey compared to their street counterparts.

�Drug addiction is a disease and people should not stigmatize and discriminate drug addicts�, Ms Warbah and Ms Laloo said adding that the number of children drug addicts are on the rise.

Despite this increase, there is no treatment facility or any rehabilitation center for children suffering from drug addiction, Ms Laloo said.

Citing an example of a 12-year-old hard core injecting drug user from Jowai, who has been a drug addict since 9 years, New Hope project director pointed out that there should be a separate treatment center for children as they learn things, which they are not supposed to do at the early age.

Getting hold and bashing up of drug addicts is not the answer, Ms Laloo observed and added people have to come out asking for help and not feel ashamed.

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