PANAJI
Not much to everyone’s surprise, a concerning number of young Goan adults are steadily becoming alcohol or drug addicts. These youths, numbering around 6,592 in the last four an half years, claimed to have got addicted to these substances due to reasons like loss of job, business, failed relationship, Covid-pandemic crisis and so on.
The information obtained through RTI reveals that since 2018 till date, a total of 6,592 people, under complete influence of drugs and alcohol, got admitted to the government rehabilitation centres -- two district hospitals and IPHB -- for treatment.
The data further shows that till date around 124 patients have undergone treatment to free themselves from drug addiction. Of these, 24 patients got treated in the ongoing year. The year 2022, saw a maximum number of 35 patients seeking treatment for drugs.
Similarly, since 2018, as many as 859 alcohol addicts showed interest to get rid of it.
Doctors say drug addiction is becoming a serious worry devastating lives of young people even as Goa in the past Goa had seen cases of people suffering from alcohol or smoking addiction. But, drug addiction is something that is picking up fast.
“Our own children are getting addicted to drugs and that too hard drugs. This is something very serious,” a doctor said, pointing out the worry about free availability of this substance.
MLAs, both ruling as well as from the Opposition, have often raised concern about availability of drugs in hinterland and village areas apart from the coastal belt.
