National Drug Awareness,Bhutan.

The more I see of Bhutan, the more head over heels in love I fall with this country. I don’t know right now how this writing of mine is gonna shape up. I don’t know if I should write it in the form of a report or in the form of a letter written by not so worldly-wise a father to his steadily growing up younger daughter. I also don’t have any idea whatsoever if this article is for the readers of Google + or for Issue or if I’ll finally settle for FaceBook. After all, FB caters to a wider range of readership.

As I entered the staffroom right after the lunch break, there was a notice informing us, the staff of CCS, to gather in the CC Room for an awareness program on “Drugs and Illicit Trafficking”. The Program started with the Welcome Note delivered by our V.P. Madam. Mr. Pema Wangchen, a former addict recently out of the rehab program, then took over. He spoke about the stigma, the fear that 'if somebody was speaking at the back, they were talking about his addiction'. He concluded with the sincere request to the teachers to be kind to them, the addicts for they are soft from inside. The next speaker to address us was one Mr. Rinchen Topgay, a graduate of Sherubtse College,he has recently cleared the Prelim Exam of the RCSC and is preparing for the Main Exam. A brilliant student, who scored 74% in the 5^th Semester of one of the most difficult courses in the college (He had Maths and Physics as his combination), it was heartbreaking to hear about how he fell an easy prey to the evil of addiction.

A man in his mid-40s had by then, entered the CC Room accompanied by V.P. Sir. V.P. Sir, Mr. Tsheten Dorji introduced him to us as the CEO of CPS (Chithuen Phendhey Tshogpa, I am not sure if it is an NGO or a govt organisation for creating the right kind of awareness in the masses). He took the centre stage then and spoke in flawless English for the next two hours or so. He began by saying that the picture of drug abuse and Trafficking in South Asia is taking alarming proportions. I would like to put up everything that he went on to say ditto:

Addiction is a disease (this is how he started in response to my remark that “Once an addict, always an addict”), just like any other disease. Once you get it, it can’t be cured. But it can be managed with proper support and guidance. I did drugs for 11 years. But I was lucky to save myself. But continuously dealing with the addicts, I relapsed. People get addicted mainly due to the emotional pain which drives them to addiction. In order to understand addiction, you have to understand the psychology behind. Our youth get addicted because subconsciously they try to connect with others. Every time your child goes through some traumatic experience, s/he gets thrashed. Now more than ever, the time has come for you to get closer to you child. S/he needs you more than ever as a stress-reliever….

Every time a child gets exposed to a trauma, there is no release of the chemical (endorphin?). This kind of situation will drive your child to addiction. If you are nurtured well as a child, you won’t have addiction. He shared his personal story In this connection:

At 16, I was going for a group picnic. Friends told me that I didn’t have a partner. I was a shy guy. I told a friend, an Army Major right now, that I was waiting for the girls to come. Then one day, this bloke Rinchen asked me to meet this girl and say ‘hi’ to her. I’s shivering. I blushed out. Rinchen told me he had an idea. I asked the kanchi at the counter of the hotel for two pegs of Black Mountain as per the idea. I had it but didn’t like the taste. The moment I came out of the hotel. I felt good somehow. The girl, in the meantime, was waiting for 2/3 minutes outside. I introduced myself. Every step I took though was painful. The Army guy asked me to keep walking. I’s nervous. In the meantime, I was given a paracetamol like tablet. I took a quarter. It didn’t seem to work. I asked and got 2/3 more. That was on a Saturday.

On Monday, back in school, the friends said I was so jolly last time, I played the guitar. I even talked to the girl. I kept on asking every now and then: Did I really do that? I’ve been using tablets since then. It’s a powerful tablet, mind you. Has the power to knock you down. By the time I reached X, I’s into taking injections. I got overdosed three times. Luckily, I came back each time.

I did drugs because of the way I was brought up. I have nothing against my parents. In fact, my relationship with them is quite stable. I love them. But they are illiterate. My dad is cool but my mom knows how to discipline through inflicting pain. She was raised that way by my grandma. Once I stood 19^th in the class. I ran home, eager to show my result to mom. She was weaving. I gave her my result full of expectation. She couldn’t read and handing it back, asked me to tell her verbally. When I told her, she said, “Akai! Ap. Pem Dorji’s bum secured the….”

I learnt to lie, do drugs all due to my illiterate parents. At 9, I broke the flask. Father used to drink tea from it. I wrapped it with the broken pieces in a towel and dumped it in the garden. Later, when they started looking for it, mom asked me,” Tshewang, do you know where Appa’s flask is?’ I lied for the first time. What could I do? I wasn’t afraid of appa but mom would give me at least 300 times! I LEARNT EVERYTHING FROM MY FAMILY. I BECAME DISCONNECTED. AS I GREW UP, I REALISED I FELT DISTANCED BY 17!

Mr. Tshewang shared two more heart-wrenching stories of his clients. He concluded by saying: We all make mistakes. If your child keeps on making mistakes, beating the child will harm him more. This boy at 18, was sexually abused. When he came for counselling, I called his parents in the hope of healing in a broader way. The parents told me that they had done everything in their power for the right kind of upbringing. “Why didn’t you tell your parents?” I asked him later.

“Appa will kill me” I was the first person he had narrated this traumatic experience to. Today he is a severe victim of schizophrenia and addiction.

Please look at the family system. Today we need a nurturing and caring environment more than ever before. When you are at home, with your child, make her feel secure. Tell her ‘I love you’ and keep saying so. The bottom line is you have the power to touch lives both at home and school.

It was indeed a pleasure having those wonderful people with us. I was so very mesmerised by Mr. Tshewang and his team that I could not resist remarking at the end of the presentation: May I say something, Sir?

“Yes,”

I won’t mind doing drugs, if I turn out to be a person like you later on in life. Amidst the raucous laughter of my colleagues, he replied that that has been his fear too. Reason enough for him not to meet the students directly!