Women drug users on the rise in Meghalaya
SHILLONG: Cases of young women addicted to drugs and alcohol are on the rise in Meghalaya and the addiction might often lead them to plunge into the sex trade. This was revealed in a joint survey by UNODC and an NGO Manbha Foundation carried out in various parts of the city.
"During the three-month-long survey in 2008, we came across around 50 female drug users," Dr Rica Lamar, Director Manbha Foundation said while addressing a seminar on "Adolescents - The Stars For A Better Tommorrow" organised by the National Rural Health Mission at U Soso Tham Auditorium here on Tuesday.
Dr Lamar said the preliminary survey is indicative of the problem confronting adolescent girls and said the numbers could be higher if the survey was more outspread.
There are 17,833 drug users in Meghalaya with Jaintia Hills topping the list with 5398 followed by East Khasi Hills 5113 and Ri-Bhoi district with 2397, according to Dr Lamar.
She endorsed the view that many women take up drugs due to the domestic problem and unstable marital life.
The survey revealed cases of women picking up the drug injecting habit from their marital partners. "In many cases, they are forced to into the habit by their partners," Dr Lamar said.
Women "injecting drug users" are more vulnerable to infection by the HIV virus compared to their male counterparts.
"Once a person gets into the habit, she has to find means to support it and could therefore get into commercial sex, exposing themselves to the risk of HIV-AIDS," she said.
Admitting that women addicts and alcoholics face greater stigmatization than male users, Dr Lamar said the problem had to be tackled with great sensitivity since addiction is itself a gendered problem.
"Society accepts a male addict or an alcoholic but if a woman indulges in similar activities she faces social ostracism," she mentioned.
Lamenting the absence of a State-owned counseling-cum-health centre, she said female alcoholics and addicts are often denied treatment facilities.
The Shillong Rilum Presbytery started a counseling-cum-health centre for women at Pynthorumkhrah which is an extension of New Hope Centre.
Courtsey The Shillong Times
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