CHENNAI: Children as young as 15 years are getting hooked to habits like smoking cigarettes, alchohol and drugs from the slums of North Chennai said Virgil D Swamy, Director of Arunodaya, an NGO which works to empower the lives of street and working children through education.Speaking to Express on the sidelines of a cultural fest organised by Arunodhaya Youth Clubs on Sunday, he said, “We have not done a detail study on this issue. But based on the case studies we found out almost 30- 35 percent of the children in Korukkupet, Washermenpet, Royapuram, Kodambakkam, T Nagar, Thiruvottriyur are hooked to cigarettes smoking, alchohol and drugs.” Arunodaya now runs a programme targeting the youth who are into substance abuse, through street plays and counseling. Mohammed Arif (21), a member of the youth club, attributed bad role models as the reason behind this trend.He said, “The children in these neighbourhood grow up seeing their fathers, brothers and uncles addicted to drinking. Once we spot particular area which has more young boys who are into smoking or drinking, we organize awareness programmes in the areas and also do counselling for their families and also organize playful workshops to bring them out of the habit so that they can focus on their education and improve their standard of living in the next generation.” The cultural fest staged by the members of Arunodhaya Youth clubs on Sunday is not merely a youth community bonding exercise, but also carried a strong message of self discipline and to get educated beyond all odds.
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