Children as young as seven years can now easily access phones and navigate their way through the internet, thanks to the information superhighway and penetration of mobile telephony services. While at it, and sometimes innocently, these children have become the target of a ruthless group of drug peddlers who have devised ways of plying their trade online.
Those engaged in the drug business have now resorted to online sale of their products due to the weak or non-existent enforcement activities on the internet. In addition, the universality of the internet makes it a difficult platform to police as people can connect while hundreds of thousands miles apart.
In this grand scheme of things, children have found themselves at the receiving end of unashamed and immoral drug traffickers and peddlers preying on the innocence of the youngsters.
A study conducted by the National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in 2019 found that teenagers who regularly use popular social media outlets were more likely to drink, use drugs and buy tobacco than adolescents who either did not use social media or used it less frequently.
For many youths the internet is fast, amusing, interactive, and fairly easy to use with a little practice and some patience. For these young people, going online is a common way to access diverse, up-to-date information, while communicating with peers and exploring alternative lifestyles, not to mention following fashion, music, and leisure trends.
Having grown up with the technology, youth are not intimidated by the internet's technical base and ever-increasing capacities of use. Rather, they are drawn into the excitement connected to its constant growth.
Moreover, online TV shows and movies demonstrate considerable amounts of substance use. Subsequently, vulnerable young minds develop fallacies about alcohol and drug use and their effects. What makes the situation even worse is the fact that any drug can be easily found and bought online.
The dark web is part of the internet that can be accessed only through special software. Criminals use it for various illegal activities, including drug trafficking. Since this part of the net is not regulated, black market sites that offer illegal substances operate freely.
How then can we ensure that we claw back the effects of the internet on accessibility of drugs by children online? One of the most important strategies to employ is to keep the communication lines with them open. Parents or guardians should not only seek out closeness with their child when they are worried something is wrong, but take deliberate effort to know about their interests, friends, etc.
Caregivers should also keep an eye out for any changes in behaviour that might indicate teens are using drugs. This can include just a feeling they’re acting odd or not “right”; if they are suddenly unusually angry, depressed, quiet, or withdrawn; unusual sleeping patterns; and them seeming to suddenly have a lack of interest in things they used to enjoy. Physical signs can include sudden weight loss, bloodshot or watery eyes, and shakes or tremors.
Parents should make sure their children know the consequences of using drugs; there exists a wide range of literature on how to communicate with children at different ages on substances of abuse. Because drugs can be so readily available online, kids may believe that they aren’t really that dangerous. It is important to impress upon them the effects of long-term drug addictions and how deadly substances are.
Importantly, parents and guardians must constantly remind their teenage children about the legal implications of being caught in any kind of drug use or transaction.
With their young and inquisitive minds, children are susceptible to online overtures that would easily entice them to engage in drug and substance abuse or even trafficking. Safeguarding them against such activities requires a firm commitment from all stakeholders while also taking proactive measures of continually enlightening them about safe internet use.
Manager corporate communications, Nacada
