Cases of relapse amongst female IDUs disturbingly high
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 12 2024: There has been an increase in the number of female injecting drug users (IDUs), and the chance of them experiencing a relapse is high when the State has no adequate number of rehabilitation centres and infrastructure, experts have said.

Manipur has only 3 dedicated 15-bedded drug treatment centres for female injecting drug users.

These 15-bedded female drug treatment centres are run under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The lack of adequate number of centres and treatment facilities have hindered rehabilitation efforts, and many have experienced relapse and started using drugs again after returning from these centres.

Speaking to this reporter, a female IDU (injecting drug user) said she found it difficult to get treatment at the dedicated centres.

Thambal (name changed) spent some time in one of the centres.

However, after returning to society, she has started using drugs again.

Sharing her experience, Thambal said, getting admission at the centre was hard and time consuming, which is not helpful for those wanting to avoid using drugs.

She said timely treatment and counselling, a positive change in the society's attitude towards drug users and proper vocational training would help female users stay away from drugs and return to normal life.

"It is very hard for women to get admitted at the centres due to the limited number of beds.

Getting admission wasn't easy.

Most of the time, the centres are fully occupied making it difficult for us to get timely help and treatment when needed", Thambal said.

The delay in getting admission or the required help greatly affects the wellbeing of drug users.

A delay in treatment may break their will to avoid drugs and thus force them to return to using drugs again, she said.

"We don't want to continue on this road and we understand the consequences of using drugs.

But, our society looks at us drug users differently.

Even when we become clean, society treats us differently and judges us by our past.

The way society treats us, in many ways, forces us to return to this old habit of using drugs," Thambal said.

She said getting the right mental and emotional help would motivate and help drug users overcome addiction.

Thambal said a viable avenue for earning income or some sort of a self support system is needed for rehabilitated persons to stay clean and never go back to using drugs again.

She said providing practical skill training or vocational training that suits the present trend would help users stay away from drugs.

"Most drug users after returning from rehabilitation centres find themselves without any source of income or work.

They are not hired for work by people either.

This leads to frustration, and eventually they experience relapse and return to using drugs again," Thambal said.

The centres here do provide vocational training, and inmates learn making products like bags and other items.

But, honestly, they aren't trained by experts and the products they make aren't sold easily in the market.

Inmates after returning to society find no viable use of their skills and no market for their products, she said.

Thambal said, a more practical skill development training on trades which are in demand in the present would earn them income and keep them busy thus helping them avoid their old habits.

She suggested that female drug users in the centres may be given training on make-up, tailoring, making and preparation of traditional Potloi.

Nirvana Foundation's secretary, Sobhana Sorokhaibam said the high rate of relapse among female injecting drug users may be addressed if there are adequate numbers of centres and the required attention of the Government.

She said there are many women who wish to return to normal life but couldn't due to lack of rehabilitation centres.

Delay in treatment or unavailability of treatment is the same as violating the rights of drug users.

The Government claims to regard women highly, but unfortunately, the female IDUs seem to have been overlooked and ignored, Sobhana said.

She said the female injecting drug users in rehabilitation centres should be given the benefits of all the schemes of the Government including vocational training.

Sobhana echoed the same concern as Thambal and said, the way society sees female drug users affects their lives.

Most drug users after returning to normal life experience relapse due to harsh treatment of the society, she said.

Sobhana said the three rehabilitation centres in the State are not equipped with proper infrastructure and manpower to care for children/infants of inmate mothers.

Due to lack of proper infrastructure for care of children, the centres are often unable to admit mothers who are drug users.

In the present scenario, the mothers have to be separated from the children to get admission at the centres and receive treatment, Sobhana said.

The Centre, the State Government and its Departments concerned should look into this issue.

The centres should be equipped with proper infrastructure to provide treatment to mothers and also care for their children, she added.

In addition to providing the required and necessary infrastructure for treatment and counselling of female injecting drug users, the Government should increase the number of dedicated centres for women, Sobhana said.

SR Roni, a counsellor at Sneha Bhavan - a centre under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment-said that the limited intake capacity of the centre has been a hurdle in providing treatment to female injecting drug users.

The centre has only 15 beds and as such, it simply can't admit more than the capacity.

Many female drug users are turned away often due to lack of accommodation, Roni said.

She said vocational training is given properly at the centre.

If the vocational training given are improved and enhanced, it would immensely help female drug users avoid relapse when they return to the society, Roni said.

Drug addiction is a disease that can be cured through proper treatment and counselling.

Society has a bigger role to play in helping them overcome this disease and facilitate their return to the mainstream.

The chance of them relapsing is high when society treats them harshly and sees them differently, she said.

"Beating them and shaming them in public will not help them.

Instead, it would force them to return to using drugs again.

They should be treated with care and understanding, and given a second chance at life," Roni said.

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