CHENNAI: In an indication of rising substance abuse among adolescents, authorities of a government school in Ambattur say its students have been experimenting with cheap narcotic substances.

"They buy ganja during the weekends and not on school days. We have told them repeatedly that they should not use it. We issued a TC to a boy earlier this year because he was addicted to ganja. I have strictly told students that police will catch them if they smoke up and wander around after school hours in their uniform," a senior administrator said.

According to local residents, the absence of streetlights in the area which has thick tree cover emboldens the youngsters after dusk.

"Our daughter, a class XII student in a school in another area, cycles back home from school around 6 pm. She
complains about being ragged by a group of boys from the local school who follow the girls in an auto everyday. Though the school here closes by 4 pm, the students loiter around in groups and buy ganja from the small shops. Even though we know them, we cannot say anything because our daughter has to continue going to school," said B Madhavi, who lives in the area and works near the school.

Experts in the field said the problem of substance abuse among adolescents is on the rise. "I have seen children as young as 12 or 14 being hooked to this. They start off with volatile solvents such as whitening fluid or glue and then move on to substances like ganja. It begins due to peer pressure and curiosity or because these children hail from dysfunctional families where parents could be addicts themselves," said Dr Anita Rao, director of medical services, T T Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation.
The school authorities traced the problem to the infrequent bus services in the area. "We received a letter from the school requesting that the transport department send more buses to the locality. It goes on to state that students gather in groups after school hours and create a ruckus, smoking or buying ganja as there is a gap of a nearly an hour until they get the next bus. We have forwarded the request to the transport department," an official from the department of school education said.

Though the police outpost in the locality is locked up, residents continued to invest hope in the law. "The students also use certain chemicals. If a policeman can patrol the area in mufti, it could solve the problem," a teacher at the school said.

Police officials said they would act if the public registered complaints. "If they are reluctant to lodge a complaint, they can call us and inform us. When dealing with students, we let them off with a warning. However, action will be taken against those supplying the drugs," a senior police official said.

karthika.gopalakrishnan@timesgroup.com