Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jul 2003 Source: Times of India, The (India) Copyright: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.timesofindia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/453 Author: G Babu Jayakumar, Chennai Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) NARCOTIC TOFFEES COULD BE A GATEWAY DRUG FOR ADDICTION Till a narcotic toffee racket was swooped on and a couple of huge hauls of the drug consignments were made, not many knew of the existence of a 'high' terrain in the city landscape where munching the sugar-coated psychoactive substance was commonplace. Now that the curtains have been yanked off, the questions being raised are: How bad are those dope toffees? Can they lead to dependence? Even those working in areas of addiction concerns and rehabilitation in the city seem to have little insight into this particular toffee-chewing habit, which, it is learnt from police, is gaining in popularity among some groups of college students and has veterans in the Sowcarpet region. However, that the seized toffees contained Tetra hydro cannabinol (THC) is enough to ring the alarm bells. Just because de-addiction centres have no record of treating people hooked to the toffees, one cannot straight-away call it innocuous, feels Dr Suresh Kumar, a city-based psychiatrist who has wide experience in treating different types of drug addicts during the past two decades. THC, the euphoria-causing ingredient, is a derivative of cannabis, popularly known as ganja and hence eating the toffees will take one to a 'high', albeit at a milder level, that smoking 'grass' or hashish give. Besides, the narcotic toffees could serve as a gateway drug, leading the user to try out with hardcore mind-altering substances like heroin or brown sugar and even the latest one on the block - 'ecstasy', which the generation X of this cyber era passionately calls as 'drug - e'. Not all those who wrecked their lives and careers in the 1990s with mainlining, chasing and smoking 'smack' or brown sugar, which in fact is a crude form of heroin, besides some pharmaceutical drugs, started on them straight away. They all graduated from ganja or alcohol, says Dr Suresh Kumar. So an adolescent biting into the narcotic toffee could be, willy-nilly, setting foot into the dreary domain of drug addiction. For there are no indicators to suggest who would become an addict or an alcoholic. Among those who experiment with drugs, some develop dependence in due course and many do not, while those who refrain from trying them out never become an addict. This being the norm, narcotic toffees are no laughing matter, despite the low content of THC in them. Besides, the fact that there is a bid to camouflage an addictive substance in the form of toffees indicates a marketing scheme, aimed at trying to hook users. Even if 10 per cent of those tasting the toffees go back to it for the high it brings in its wake, it could cause widespread harm to society, fears Dr Suresh Kumar. Explaining the pattern in which casual experimentations with soft drugs escalate into serious substance-dependence situations, Dr Suresh Kumar, now a consultant for many global NGOs working in issues of addiction concerns, says the euphoria caused by a particular substance makes the user go back to it once again. Repeated use would lead to a psychological craving for it and thus cause addiction. Though cannabis derivatives are not known to develop physical dependence as opium derivatives, including heroin, and alcohol do, they are capable of developing a mental craving that could be overwhelming for the users. In the case of youths in the formative years, any psychedelic drug can interfere with their thinking process, affect cognitive functions, reduce concentration and mar the development of their personality, says Dr Suresh Kumar. Youths could become pseudo-philosophical, veer away from their academic and career pursuits and even turn rebellious if they are on drugs, however mild they are. So it is pertinent that the younger generation is kept away from all mind-altering substances, even if some like bhong, also a derivative of cannabis, enjoys cultural sanction among some communities, though legally not allowed. Substituting the use of bhong with the new toffees, which some of the regular buyers are presumably doing, might not have adverse effect on those doing it with a cultural meaning but if the younger generation gets hooked to the toffee-munching it could open up the gates for them to the dope domain. And with drug-e slowing catching the imagination of rave party-goers in Chennai, those pussyfooting into the drug web through toffees run the risk of being trapped in it and later on get hooked to that much dangerous escatsy drug. Drug-e is an amphetamine drug that gives its users a spurt of hyper energy to party uninterrupted for long hours and has already wreaked havoc in many southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Burma, says Dr Suresh Kumar. With such feral possibilities looming, it is better to stick to the old adage: Say No to Drugs. Even if it is in the form of mild toffees. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin