When I first moved to the United States, I was always asked, “What is the most difficult part of adjusting to American life?”
“The STOP signs,” I said.
You see! In India, intersections are like roundabouts without the roundabout, and traffic can move in any direction to cross over. The palm-faced hand of a traffic cop brave enough to step in front of charging cars, buses, trucks and rickshaws, two-wheelers, two-leggers, and even some four-leggers seems to be the only sign we obey. But even that is considered an unwelcome and uncomfortable interruption responded only by the wrath of our honks. For we are in survival mode, and nothing should get in the way of the natural order of chaos on Indian roads.
So I understand why this big and bold writing painted in yellow on the road in front of my family home never came up as a topic of discussion, even as we drove over it every day. We don’t see these signs as we are busy chasing after the chaos of our daily lives.
One day I went for an early morning walk with my parents and stopped to read the sign in yellow. It was a warning sign, and a realization quickly sunk in. Chaos has come to our doorstep.
My Homeland
One of 3 states in India governed by Communist ideologies, Kerala is a coastal land known for its tropical beauty, from beaches to backwaters, coconut trees and paddy fields, and an appetite for cultural coexistence. Keralites, predominantly of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faith, come together to celebrate religious festivities despite our varying beliefs, making Kerala one of India’s most diverse states.
Kerala has many nicknames. The most common is God’s Own Country, a land where all Gods live in harmony. The Spice Garden of India, the Land of Coconuts, the Land of Trees, and The Jewel of South India are other titles awarded to Kerala.
New York Times has recently ranked Kerala as #13 on the list of 52 places to visit in 2023, listing my homeland amongst other popular global destinations - the topmost destination in India.
But underneath this pomp and glory lurks a bitter new reality that Kerala will have to accept sooner than later. A new title is in the making.
Is Kerala quickly becoming the new Drug Capital of India?
The Signs We Ignore
In 2014, the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNDOC) conducted its first-ever study of Amphetamine-Type Stimulant use in India. Based on the findings from a 2010 report on Asia and the Pacific region, there was growing concern that ATS use has been “increasing in east and southeast Asia and the Middle Eastern region”.
Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) (amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, illicit use of prescription drugs, e.g. methylphenidate and Ritalin, and new psychoactive substances that mimic the effects of stimulants) are the second most commonly used illicit drugs worldwide and the third in Europe and create a large challenge in the synthetic drug area.
As cited in: Liebregts, N., Rigoni, R., Petruželka, B. et al. Different phases of ATS use call for different interventions: a large qualitative study in Europe. Harm Reduct J19, 36 (2022).
In 2019, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment conducted an in-depth study of the “Magnitude of Substance Use in India”. It was the first time that substance use/abuse was studied and documented by sampling populations across all the states and UTs of the country. The study is quite revealing about the growing number of Indians under the influence of various types of psychoactive substances other than alcohol.
The study concludes with a recommendation to not only raise awareness but also to implement “strategies aimed at prevention of initiation of substance use” based on scientific evidence and by working with families, schools, and communities, to “protect the youth of the nation”.
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On June 26th, 2021, a day observed worldwide as the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the former Director General at the National Academy of Customs, Excise & Narcotics (NACEN) Dr. G Shreekumar Menon reported that many cities in Kerala are getting tagged as “Narcopolis” due to rising rate of drug use. He stated that “Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode cities figure in the list of 127 vulnerable cities identified by the Union Ministry of Social Justice, with acute prevalence on drug dependency”, and Kochi fast becoming the dug hub for young boys and girls seeking refuge in the pleasures of MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly) and LSD (Acid).
In September 2022, Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan disclosed to his assembly, “In 2020 the authorities seized 4000 kg cannabis in Kerala while the quantity seized in 2021 was 6100 kg. This year, till August, the agencies have seized more than a tonne (of) cannabis in addition to MDMA and hashish oil,” pointing out that Kerala has become a “narcotics hub” and that schools and colleges in the state have fallen prey to these drugs.
It’s getting worse.
The Irony
Kerala takes pride in being the 1st state in India to reach a 100% literacy rate, and the effort to maintain this high standard only means educated and intelligent Malayalee youth are front and center in contributing to a brighter future.
Then why are we letting our schools become prey to drug peddlers?
Why are 40% of Kerala’s children under 18 becoming slaves of MDMA and other narcotic substance addictions?
“The economic structure of Kerala is largely dependent on an intelligent, educated, and energetic youth population. There is an ulterior motive behind this drug addiction to transform the youth into a useless and lazy society and to destroy India and Kerala in particular.”, says one school teacher.
Teachers are on the front-line dealing with intoxicated students and their drug-induced behaviors. How are they coping with this new reality? Are they empowered by the school authorities to intervene without compromising their safety? What are the hidden agendas that are exposing our schools to become drug havens?
In the next part of this exploratory article, we will hear from the front lines of this drug epidemic as I delve into the reason why Kerala’s youth is an easy target.
Post Credits
From the New York Times, here are the 52 Places to Go in 2023 (unlocked article).
Dr. G Shreekumar Menon believes the government should declare drug use a "National Disaster" as he continues his research, reporting, and spreading awareness on his website.
The 2019 report on the Magnitude of Substance Use in India can be found here.