Rising drug abuse among women, five noticed in one month in Ferozepur

Ferozepur, September 2, 2018:  The problem of drug abuse in Punjab over the years has largely been focused on males but with the reporting of five women addicted to drugs in OPD in Ferozepur during the month of August is alarming. Social stigma, state of denial and lack of exclusive facilities are the key reasons why women are not seeking help, pointed out the doctor looking after the Drug De-Addiction Centre.

No doubt, the state government has been providing various treatment options for the youth, primarily focused on males at the number of government De-Addiction centres but there is only one Centre exclusively for women in Kapurthala, that too was set up in 2017.

In one such incident, the drug-addicted mothers have to lose the breastfeeding – know as nursing or the Foundation of Life’ –  to a new-born child, as per the doctor’s advice when she visited OPD for treatment in the Civil Hospital, said Dr Rachna Mittal, looking after the Drug De-addiction Centre.

Telling her tales, the mother of the child told that “I am taking three to four grams of heroin daily for the last six-seven years and had been taking on the advice of her co-dancers for not having fatigue for dancing hours together.  I was married during the last year and she stopped the profession of dancing and become pregnant.  I stopped taking the heroin but switched over to drugs.  When I visited the Drug De-addiction Centre, I informed the doctor about the child remaining in a laziness condition, hardly weeps and feel hungry.

A dancer by profession, 32-year old woman is in a state of shock on seeing her hungry child when the child starts vomiting on feeding with the cow milk from the market.

On this, the doctor apprised me that it is all due to whatever drug I am taking and child  has become an addict and I had to stop breastfeeding immediately, she added.

Dr. Rachna Mittal said, the lady with a child visited the hospital that was drug-addict visited the OPD during the last week and has given birth to a child.  I had advised her not to do breast-feeding so that the child may not become drug-addict.

She further informed during one month, five females have come for drug de-addiction treatment and condition of most of them is pitiable.  Out of these five, two each are artists and house-wives while one is a student.

Dr.Rachna Mittal, Psychiatrist said, the breastfeeding by drug-addict mother has become drug diet for the 22-day-old child which can prove fatal to for the child. The doctor has advised the mother to stop breastfeeding.

The doctor said the drug-addiction among the females is very alarming when during the month of August; five drug-addict patients have come to the OPD for treatment.

She said the long-term risks are also involved when they are married like in the instant case and women are advised not to take any intoxicant. In general, the recommendation is to totally avoid drug abuse while breastfeeding, because these substances can pass directly through to the newborn through the mother’s milk which can cause sedation, lethargy and weakness in breastfeeding babies.

The social stigma of course and lack of exclusive facilities deter them from seeking help, said Dr.