Drug Addiction

Among
Street Children in Bangladesh

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 Socio Economic Profile of Bangladesh
Course Code: ECO1124

Prepared For
Rajib Kumar Das

Lecturer

Southeast Business School

Southeast University

Prepared By
Group
Name ID Signature
Nazmun Nahar Pomi 2017110000074
Nafisul Hoq Moin 2017110000034
Fatik Fahad 2015210000089

Date of Submission: 31 December, 2019

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 Acknowledgement

Countless thanks to Almighty ALLAH (The most merciful, the most beneficial); the only Creator
of the universe who enabled us to complete this assignment, despite various difficulties.

It gives us immense pleasure to thank a large number of individuals for their cordial cooperation
and encouragement which has contributed directly or indirectly in preparing this assignment.

Firstly, we would like to express our thanks to our respected faculty Rajib Kumar Das Lecturer
of Southeast Business School, Southeast University. His guidance and feedback made things a lot
easier. Whenever, we had any question regarding any problem, he answered all our questions
and kept us on track to complete this assignment. He gives his suggestions that were crucial in
making this assignment as flawless as possible. Then we would like to thank all the other groups
who not only worked really hard for their own assignments but also helped and inspired us to
complete ours.

Then, every group member of this assignment also worked really hard. So, we all are thankful to
each other for making this report a successive one and made this experience a memorable one.

Southeast University

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 House # 64, Block # B, Road # 18,
Banani, Dhaka- 1213
Email: info@seu.ac.bd

31 December, 2019

Mr. Rajib Kumar Das

Lecturer,
Southeast Business School
Southeast University
Subject: Submission of report on “Drug Addiction among Street Children in Bangladesh”.

Dear Sir,
Here is the report on “Drug Addiction among Street Children in Bangladesh” as a requirement of
our course ECO1124 (Socio Economic Profile of Bangladesh). During this period of studies, we
have tried to put forth our best effort to make this paper a comprehensive one. Still this paper is
not free from any shortcoming due to our limited knowledge. Nevertheless we tried our best to
make this report a complete one. All our efforts will be fulfilled if this report is able to clarify
and satisfy all the requirements, which was assigned to us.

We would therefore like to submit this report to you and hope that you would show your
kindness by accepting this report. We would also like to thank you for your kind consideration.

With best regards

Sincerely yours,

Nazmun Nahar Pomi ID: 2017110000074

Nafisul Hoq Moin ID: 2017110000034

Fatik Fahad ID: 2015210000089

Contents

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Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................7
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................8
Aims & Objectives.......................................................................................................................................8
Social Issue “Drug Addiction among Street Children in Bangladesh”..........................................................9
Current Situation in Bangladesh................................................................................................................10
Reason of Problem....................................................................................................................................11
Solution of Problem...................................................................................................................................12
UNDERSTANDING STREET CHILDREN.....................................................................................................12
HOW TO HELP A STREET CHILD....................................................................................................12
HELP TO IDENTIFY CHILDREN LIVING, WORKING AND BEGGING ON THE STREET........13
BY SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHO BEG YOU AFFIRM STREET LIFE......................................13
GIVING TO CHILDREN WHO BEG KEEPS CHILDREN ON THE STREET..................................13
GIVING TO CHILDREN WHO BEG DESTROYS FAMILIES, IT DRAWS CHILDREN ONTO THE
STREET................................................................................................................................................13
Government Steps Regarding this Problems.............................................................................................14
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................15
Reference..................................................................................................................................................16

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Executive Summary
Number of street children has been rising in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in recent years
and also the prevalence of substance abuse is increasing among these children. Objective: This
research work focuses on understanding street children's perception/attitudes towards substance
abuse. Materials and method: For this study, an inquiry based, self-administrated questionnaire
was generated and a survey was conducted by authorized, trained persons. A total of 80
participants were enrolled in this initial research work. Results: Studying respondents from two
major areas of Dhaka, it came out that sniffing dendrite is the most popular adhesive/inhalant
among children because of its easy availability. For these children, the initiation process of
sniffing adhesives starts as a part of street culture introduced by peers (87.5%, n = 70), for
getting accepted into social street gangs. Thus, these children started drug abuse as a mean of
endurance along with a little pleasure/escapism, even for a while to survive within the harsh
reality of street life. Data from this initial study were used to build a topological-model of
present/oncoming consequences/threats of substance abuse with suggested routes of
social/medical interventions. The most encouraging fact is that understanding the adverse
consequences of drug abuse, most of these children wanted to quit drug abuse (70%, n = 56) and
wished for a better life. Conclusion: It is believed that this model would help in implementing
measures for systematic drug abuse cessation for long-term rehabilitation programmes for these
children, ensuring every child's right to have a secured, healthy life. This is an initial study where
only two major areas of Dhaka city were targeted and the data accumulated from respondents
were analyzed. The objectives of this study were to identify the actual facts/reasons/factors that
are driving street children to use drugs and also to understand their perceptions and attitudes
towards substance use within the context of their experiences of life on the streets Often the first
step in any types of drug abuse cessation has been, recognizing the problem and expressing a
desire to quit. Most of the respondents in this study expressed their strong desire and willingness
to quit drugs and all of the respondents wished for a better life. This is a very positive response
as researches in other inhalant using populations have shown that having such strong
motivation1,2 can only help the addicts to enter treatment with decreased chances of relapse.
Although 30% of the street children, even don’t know what to expect from life but this strong
desire among the majority to quit drugs is a very positive response to consider and find out
effective strategies for interventions and designing drug cessation programs for these street
children, especially keeping in mind that most of these children entered into this dark world of
addiction only for coping and survival. Children are the future of a nation; so their health,
wellbeing should be put on priority. Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts
society on multiple levels. The scope of the problem is broad and requires innovative and
multifaceted programmes for preventing, reducing and stopping substance use amongst children.

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Introduction
Tens of millions of children round the world find themselves living or working in the street.
There are over 600,000 street children in Bangladesh, about 50% of them are between ages of
11-19 years, and more than a third of them are settled in Dhaka and this number is further going
to be increased at an alarming rate by the year 2024. Major reasons of increasing numbers of
children to be on the streets are poverty, broken family, natural disasters and growing
urbanization.

.Bangladesh besets with a thousand of problems. Drug is one of the acute problems of them.
Drug abuse directly influences the economic and social aspects of a country. Though the young
people are mostly addicted to drug, but it is very alarming that recently the children (i.e. street
children) are also committing to drug. The street children are mostly addicted to drugs due to
various reasons. We are anxious about this problem. If this problem cannot be removed, our
society will be dropped to the edge of destruction. In this report, we will identify the causes of
drug addiction among street children in Bangladesh.

Aims & Objectives

The main aim of our report is to identify why the street children are addicting to drug. What are
the reasons, current situation in Bangladesh, govt. steps toward this problem and all.

And other objectives are:

 To know the present status of drug abuse by street children in Dhaka city.
 To identify their socio economic condition.
 To investigate strategies for the prevention of drug abuse among street children in
Dhaka city.
 To recommend how the problem can be uprooted?

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Social Issue “Drug Addiction among Street Children in Bangladesh”

There is nothing more tragic than seeing a young child snuffing the life out of him through drugs.
And yet this has become a common sight in the Bangladeshi capital where most people have
become so used to the unfolding tragedy in front of them that they simply just ignore it.

Street children, who are living rough on the streets of Dhaka, they are used to take drug like
sniffing glue. Which is quite popular to them and most of them can’t even give up if they
become habituated of it. On the other hand when they just grow up and start to gait with daily
worker people, those who can afford other drugs, those children just follow those paths that they
don’t even know how dangerous it could be. Most of the addicted street child doesn’t have
parents nor have single parents, who don’t even stays with them. Children control their own life
and that moment they can do whatever they want.

According to the head of Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (MANAS), Arup Ratan
Chowdhury, an estimated more than 2.5 million children were drug addicts in Bangladesh.

Street children, who are said to number 3.4 million, are the primary targets of drug dealers.

The Bangladesh Children Rights Forum (BSAF) also estimated that 85 percent street children in
the country are suffering from drug abuse.

The Dhaka-based nongovernmental organization said 19 percent of such children use heroin,
while 28 percent took tablets and another 8 percent injected drugs.

Cannabis, heroin, stimulant or sleeping pills, glue and gasoline sniffing are popular among such
children in Bangladesh, the BSAF added.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control, children aged 8 to 10 were taking cannabis,
cigarettes and glue sniffing while children aged between 12 and 18 were using phensedyl –
compound found in commonly used cough syrups -- and heroin.

Yaba pills are also quite popular among children of middle class or higher-middle class
backgrounds, it said.

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Current Situation in Bangladesh
This problem is increasing day by day. As they are noticing their friends are doing so that time
they control themselves and feel interested in doing that also. They don’t have any work to do.
They can’t even afford their regular meal also. But what they earn by cleaning garbage or
bagging, they just spend them in taking drugs.

In Dhaka city, beside rail line, destitute place, under over bridge and also in railway station they
start to have drugs without any restrictions. In that case those children don’t have any parents.
Due to parents’ separation or death they just become orphan child and no one is there to cure
them.

Through a survey, a news papers journalist wrote an article about his interview experience with
these homeless children. One of them told that, his step father torture him so much so he left his
home and started to stay with street children. Once he came to know about sniffing glue he also
started to take it. When the journalist asked why they do so, it’s not a thing which is going to
fulfill their hunger that time he replied they just take it because it helps to keeps them stay away
from depression, family affection and others.

And almost child stated the same issue as the reason of their today’s condition. This practice
driving our nation in a dangerous path which is becoming uncontrollable day by day.

In Dhaka city s practice is becoming much high then the other parts of our country. Dhaka is
comparatively high because it’s a myth that in Dhaka city people can earn their livelihood easily
and would be able to fulfill their need and remove poverty. But it’s not that much easy like
before. Things are getting harder day by day. Doing a job and earning money is not a easy task in
this city.

So when they come to earn their daily wage, their children just go in distract. They don’t stay in
their parents control that time. And at a moment they start to stay alone from their parents and
push them in that path that they even belong.

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Reason of Problem

The reasons for their connection to the streets will vary from country to country, city to city, and
from person to person. 

These factors will also vary over time, such as poverty, displacement due to natural disasters and
conflicts or family breakdown all lead to increases in the numbers of street children in a given
area. 

Economic poverty plays a major role, although other factors are of equally high importance.
These can include: parental deaths, parental neglect and other social factors such as violence and
abuse of children at home or within communities. 

Discrimination, lack of access to justice, a lack of legal status (due to a lack of birth registration
for example) all contributes to a situation where a child is living or working on the street.  

We have found that children may migrate to the streets for other reasons as well, including:

 sexual, physical or emotional abuse,

 urbanization, 
 HIV / AIDS, 
 being forced into criminal activity, 
 being rejected from their family for so called “moral” reasons, 
 mental health issues,
 substance abuse,
 Sexual orientation or gender identity. 

While there is no doubt that there are common themes and reasons that push children onto the
street, dealing with each child as an individual, with their own back story and identity, is key to
understanding their situation.

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Solution of Problem
UNDERSTANDING STREET CHILDREN

Street Children are just children, but traumatized, chronically neglected, physically and mentally
abused and exploited children.  They can be helped and given a future away from the street.

These are not naughty children, criminals, nor dangerous individuals.  Many Street children do
exhibit behavioral problems, aggression and substance abuse issues, but these are coping
mechanisms of children who are in a great deal of psychological pain because Street Children are
traumatized, children,  abandoned, orphaned, chronically neglected, physically, sexually and
mentally abused children, children who are exploited by others to beg, for commercial
exploitation and other things.

Every street child we know always wants to be back with his family, it’s just that they can’t
because of the family situation or because being vulnerable they are being exploited and used by
others.

Legally In Need Of Care and Protection

The Children’s act defines any child living, working or begging on the street as a child in need of
care and protection. Beyond the law, protection and care for children is not for a few but
something we all can do. We can all contribute and make a difference.

HOW TO HELP A STREET CHILD

• Build positive relationships with children on the street, they need our care , concern and
protection.

 • Gently encourage such children to return home or to go to the Homestead Intake Shelter.

• Do not ignore them, report such children to your nearest police station or to your local
Department of Social Development office. By law DSD and SAPS must respond to any children
living, working or begging on the street. Follow up, by law anyone may fill out a form 22 to
report a child living, working or begging on the street to DSD. By law church ministers, teachers
and the like MUST report such children.

• Do not move or take these children home, to your home, or to The Homestead. Only designated
social workers and the police may remove a child without parental consent. The Homestead can
only accept a child if they self-refer or from a police officer or a designated social worker with
the correct paperwork.

• Help us to give children the care, education and development they deserve. Support
professional and comprehensive intervention services for street children, support The
Homestead.

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HELP TO IDENTIFY CHILDREN LIVING, WORKING AND BEGGING ON THE
STREET

The Homestead needs your help to identify children living, begging or working on the streets of
Cape Town. This will help us to have a better idea of where our services are needed, ensure that
all children on the streets of Cape Town are not ignored but get the help they deserve, and help
the Homestead to improve its services to children on the street. The Homestead outreach workers
currently cover central Cape Town, Woodstock to OBS, Camps Bay to Sea-point, Manenberg,
Valhalla Park and Khayelitsha, but you can still report children in other areas of Cape Town as
we will endeavor to pass this information on to statutory services or to other organisations who
might work be working in that area. Please note that a street child means a child aged between 7
and 17  

BY SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHO BEG YOU AFFIRM STREET LIFE

Any “child living, working or begging on the street” is, by South African law, a child in need of
care and protection “. No child should therefore be on the street. The truth is however that the
support children get on the street keeps them on the street and vulnerable to substance abuse,
physical and sexual abuse, as well as exploitation from drug dealers, older street youth,
paedophiles, criminal elements, etc.

GIVING TO CHILDREN WHO BEG KEEPS CHILDREN ON THE STREET

No child need live on the streets of Cape Town, The Homestead has the therapeutic residential
care and development programmes, in Woodstock and in Khayelitsha, that children need for a
healthy life away from the street. The Homestead never turns a child away. Unfortunately those
who insist on giving to children who beg keep these children out of care, keeps them locked on
the street and supports their drug abuse. By giving to children who beg you affirm street life as
the right choice, even worse you tell the child that those who exploit and abuse them on the street
are doing the right thing.

GIVING TO CHILDREN WHO BEG DESTROYS FAMILIES, IT DRAWS CHILDREN

ONTO THE STREET.

Giving to children who beg encourages vulnerable children to leave home, their school and to
move onto the street. Giving to children who beg also encourages adults to traffic vulnerable
children onto the street so the children can beg on their behalf. Giving to children who beg
undermines the family preservation, school support, poverty relief and development programmes
that The Homestead has for vulnerable children in Valhalla Park, Manenberg, Woodstock and
Khayelitsha.

Street children in Cape Town are often misunderstood. Nurtured ignorance often creates space
for inaccurate assumptions. What we don’t know can shape our attitude, sometimes in a way that
doesn’t help us or the street children. The solution for this is developing a better understanding
of their world and challenges the face. A growing knowledge of who they are and their world can

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help us better come alongside them in notable and meaningful ways. Here are three things you
need to know about street children.

Government Steps Regarding this Problems

Specific planning and Undertaking Programs for Implementing Child Rights Specific plan shall
be made s and programs be implemented for ensuring and protecting the following rights of the
children:
1. Ensuring Safe Birth and Overall Growth of the Children.
2. In order o ensure the child right to safe birth and live, the steps shall be taken to ensure
safe child birth through nutrition, health care of the expectant and post natal mothers and
the growth of the child and necessary pre-natal, natal and postnatal care.
3. All kinds of necessary steps shall be taken to check and prevent child deaths and
accidental deaths.
4. A minimum 6(six) month's maternity leave shall been sured to affirm the maternal health
and child care.
5. The employment authority shall have to arrange day care center for lactating and
working mothers so that can breast feed child.
6. Initiatives shall be taken to ensure required nutritious food for child.
7. Initiatives for providing counseling services at the educational institutions for
development of mental health of the adolescents.
8. Alleviation of Child Poverty
(a) Nutrition,
(b) Health,
(c) Overall protection,
(d) Education and
(e) Social security of the child shall be given priority for the poverty alleviation of the
children.
The following necessary steps shall be taken in the light of the National Child Labor Alleviation
Policy 2010 to mitigate child labor:

i. Congenial work place environment for the sake of sound physical and mental health of
the working children has to be ensured. In these cases, it shall be ensured that the child is
not engaged in unsocial, disgraceful and risky job. The daily working hours and break
between works at specific times have to be ensured.

2. The arrangement for education and recreation of the children has to be ensured after the
working hours are over.

3. The owner/owners or employing authority have to arrange for necessary medical care and
meeting with the family when any child worker have an experience of accidents or feel sick.

4. It has to be made sure, the children working any household or engaged in any other household
job have arrangement to see his/her parents or family members at least once a month.

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Conclusion
This study strongly recommended the need for community members, relevant stakeholders,
researchers and policy makers to work together not only to mitigate substance abuse, but also to
Identify viable alternatives to street life ensuring every child’s right to have a healthy and secure
Life. It is believed that the outcomes from this study would help to understand the current
scenario of drug abuse by the street children of Dhaka city which in turn would help to better
plan long term intervention strategies for preventing substance abuse and ensure every child’s
right to have a secure and healthy life.
Like all nations, drug abuse is seen as a social and health problem that has many serious
implications for the physical, social, psychological and intellectual development of the victims
more especially, the children. Therefore, it continues to be a concern to families, community
leaders, educators, social workers, health care professionals, academics, government and its
development partners. Though there are some studies on drug abuse, there is none on children
and drug abuse focusing on the street children the most vulnerable category. Street children are
hypothesized to be more at risk of any epidemic including drug abuse. This study sought to
determine the risk and prevalence of drug abuse among street children focusing on those in the
car parks. The research was focused on six critical areas: level of knowledge of drug abuse,
perception towards it, level of knowledge of the causes of it in the community and among street
children, level of knowledge of negative impacts of it, level of knowledge of the preventive
methods; and level of knowledge of the support services and treatments needed by victims. A
structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from thirty five participants (i.e. one driver
and six casual apprentices from each of the five car parks) were interviewed. The data was
presented and analyzed using tables and percentage. The findings revealed among other things,
that there is high level of awareness of drug abuse but the feelings towards it are mixed. Like
other children, street children are abusing drugs mainly due to peer influence with the ultimate
objective of getting high to relief stress, group recognition, desire to be trusted by peers, etc.
Similarly, participants are highly aware of the negative impacts encompassing fighting, stealing,
mental illness, etc. To finance the behavior, victims are engaged in all types of dangerous
antisocial behavior including romantic ones exposing them to a range of diseases including STIs
and HIV/AIDS. Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug. Though in the minority, some
have started experimenting cocaine/coke, hashish; and heroin. While participants have good
knowledge of the critical methods to fight drug abuse, the support services needed by victims,
victims are mostly reluctant to seek the services not only because they are hard to find but fear
societal stigmatization, exclusion and discrimination and professionals’ maltreatments.

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