Leading the Way: Developing, Implementing and Evaluating Interventions to Prevent and Treat Children with Substance Use Problems

Since 1984-85, SPYM has been actively involved in addressing Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Capacity Building at a national level across India. This presentation reviews the many effective ways that SPYM has provided services to children at risk for or actively using drugs. Tips and recommendations for implementing these types of services in other communities will be summarized.

Of the 243 million adolescents in India, 54% are in the 10–14-year age group. An estimated 18 million children live and work on the streets of India, with 100,000 in Delhi alone. Substance use has been reported among 40-70% of children living in Indian street circumstances and initiation of use occurs as early as children between 5-7 years of age. The knowledge and risk perception about substance use and its consequences in children is lower as compared to adults.

With regard to Prevention efforts, SPYM has developed the “NAVCHETNA: A New Consciousness on Life Skills and Drug Education for School Children'' Module, which involves training a million teachers and reaching out to fifty million students in schools across India in two years. SPYM also will summarize the Peer Led Intervention (CPLI) model - peer – peer education on substance use prevention, developed by SPYM, and implemented by the Government of India, covering three hundred districts nationwide. With regard to Treatment, SPYM will highlight bow they operate three treatment centers for children, catering to Children in Conflict with Law “Transformative Approaches in Treating and Reintegrating Children in Conflict with the Law'' in India with around 4000 kids having been treated in last eleven years.

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