inhalants

Inhalant Addiction and its Risks

A call came to our child helpline, saying that some students were suspended from a school in the city. When our team reached the school to enquire about the issue, the principal showed them empty tubes of fevibond (a bonding agent) whiteners, fevicol etc which they took out from the suspended students’ school bags. We met with the children and found that they have been using inhalant addictives for many months. From our enquiry we found that there were children as young as 12 years and girls too using the same.  We made arrangements to send some children for de-addiction and imparted awareness on the dangers of inhalant addiction.  The teachers told us that they found empty tubes of the above mentioned items and made enquiry and found that children were frequenting nearby shops to buy the same. The shop owners thought that they were using it for school ‘project works’

Inhalant use is increasing alarmingly among teenager school goers. One of the reasons may be that, they don’t think trying inhalants once or twice is risky, and don’t consider the regular use of inhalants to be harmful. Young teens are ignorant about the risks of inhalant addictive substances.

Inhalants are chemicals found in ordinary household or workplace products that people inhale on purpose to get “high”. Because many inhalants can be found around the house, people often don’t realize that inhaling their fumes, even just once, can be very harmful to the brain and body and can lead to death. In fact, the chemicals found in these products can change the way the brain works and cause other problems in the body.

Volatile solvents (liquids that become a gas at room temperature), aerosols (sprays that contain propellants and solvents), nitrites (a class of inhalants used mainly to enhance sexual experiences), gases (used in the medical field to provide pain relief) etc are the diverse types of inhalants.

Different inhalants cause different effects; the lungs absorb inhaled chemicals into the bloodstream very quickly, sending them throughout the brain and body. Nearly all inhalants produce a pleasurable effect by slowing down brain activity. If enough of the chemical is inhaled, nearly all solvents and gases produce anesthesia—a loss of sensation—and can lead to unconsciousness. Inhalants often contain more than one chemical. Some chemicals leave the body quickly, but others stay for a long time and get absorbed by fatty tissues in the brain and central nervous system.

Over use of inhalants can cause the following damages like damage to nerve fibers, brain cells, Heart damage, Liver failure, Muscle weakness, Aplastic anemia—the body produces fewer blood cells, Nerve damage, which can lead to chronic pain. Damage to these organs is not reversible even when the person stops abusing inhalants.

The painful reality is that depending on the type of inhalant used, the harmful health effects will differ, such as damage to red blood cells, weakened immune system, breathing problems and death, liver and kidney damage, sudden death etc.

Most of the routine users think that they can stand away from the inhalant addiction when they want to, but unless they undergo de-addiction process they cannot be free from it. If you or a friend is in crisis and need to speak with someone now, please call: 1098, a 24x7 toll free child helpline. 

Migrant Children

Migrant Children and their Education

“Sir, I am from Bihar, My husband is working here in Kerala and I find it insecure living in Bihar with my children. Thus, we came along with him and are travelling to where ever he finds work. My older son is helping his father. Even though we want to send our children to school we do not have any possibility  as we are moving place to place”, said the mother of a child labourer rescued by our staff on 23. 12. 2014 at Thiruvallam in Thiruvananthapuram District.

Last week our Don Bosco-helpline received some calls related to migrant children working in different places of Thiruvananthapuram District like Thiruvallam, Kallambalam and Kilimanoor. We visited those places and found that labourers came along with their families, and children were working with them. We gave awareness about the legal issues of employing children and the importance of education. What else could we do?

Alarming fact is that there are over 25 lakh domestic migrant labourers in Kerala today with an annual arrival rate of 2.35 lakhs, according to a research study conducted by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation for the Kerala government. 75 per cent of them come from five states, namely West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. It is a work force consisting almost entirely of single males aged between 18 to 35 years and is highly mobile within Kerala. There are several cases where women participate in the migration streams along with male members of their households. It is usual in such cases for younger siblings and older children to accompany their parents and to work along with them.

The study has made several suggestions like Voluntary registration, Provision of affordable housing, Health coverage etc to the government in order to improve their housing and living conditions. The government is possibly taking these steps following the concern about public hygiene and the scare of insurgents and illegal migrants finding their way into the state. The labour minister said that his department would soon come up with a new legislation for the upliftment of the living conditions of these labourers. This shows that Kerala government is seriously thinking about the welfare of the Domestic Migrant Labourers. On the other hand, there is less concern shown towards their children and their education. Sources at SSA, Kerala admit that the number of migrant laborers in the state is increasing and the education of their children being an issue due to constant movement from one place to another. The schooling system at home does not take into account their migration pattern and their temporary status in the destination areas makes it difficult to provide them education.

The possible solution for this is to make a alternative education facility in every district in the state and compulsory registration for all the families during which knowledge about this facility can be shared with them. The educational facility should have day care facility until the parents return from the work.