project report

 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE STATUS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL     STUDENTS IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

 

Project Report

Submitted to University of Kerala in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of

Degree of

BACHELOR OF EDUCATION

Submitted by

VYSALI M

Reg No.: 169 19302013

 

 

MAR THEOPHILUS TRAINING COLLEGE

NALANCHIRA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

2021

                                                  CHAPTER I

 

                                            INTRODUCTION

 

Substance use and abuse is a serious concern of our society and there is a growing number of youth becoming involved in this aspect of our culture, potentially leading to Addiction (Bonomo & Bowes, 2001). Substance addiction is often seen as a complex Disease of the brain that can create uncontrollable, irrational, compulsive cravings, Potentially causing an individual to seek out and use drugs, even when this behavior Causes extremely negative consequences (National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens,n.d.). Numerous treatment programs and Centre’s have been established to provide Assistance to individuals requiring/requesting support. However, not all of these programs have been successful and our society is constantly battling youth substance use and abuse, while attempting to discover what will eventually be a positive, successful approach to this ever-growing challenge (Gittman & Cassata, 1994).

 

Drug abuse is one of the most serious challenges being faced by the contemporary societies. It is a multifaceted phenomenon with combined effects of social, familial and psychological factors. It is a behavior whose manifestation depends upon the complex drug-individual-society relationship and which is deeply rooted in the socio-economic-cultural fabric of the society. The desperation to belong is universal. When an individual finds himself isolated for psycho-social, economic or cultural reasons, his desire for belonging leads him to similar People who also feel isolated and may have sought escape or relief on drugs.

 

The techno societies, being complex, do not offer the individual enough scope to maintain a sense of identity. The situation drives them to plug into one or more social sub-cults. As societies move up, the frustrations of the individual also multiply. One starts looking for a cult wherein these frustrations could at least be consolidated, if not relieved. In this way, a real drug culture develops. The drug culture tends to isolate the drug abuser from the general normative structure of the society, which they consider hostile and by whom they are often considered alien or deviant.

                                                                    

In the last two decades, the tentacles of drug abuse have spread so alarmingly that it is causing serious concern to the international community. Drug abuse is now no longer limited to traditional user -groups, the youths of the industrialized urban areas. The scourge is spreading to the youths of the rural areas and even school children. Unlike other types of disorder, the addiction illustrates a peculiar "contagion" or "infection" in that a special problem exists. This phenomenon in addiction is the introduction of others to the use of drugs and there by expanding the social network of addiction.

 

The drug problem is therefore a major concern of humanity which has taken as its toll a whole generation, perhaps more, and as one can well expect many more will be its victims. All indications point to the fact that the battle against drug abuse is going to be grim in the coming years.