Our Introduction To Drugs

Figure 1: Pie Chart showing who introduced the respondents to drugs

********************************************************************************************

We’d start off smoking cigarettes and that was okay. But after few days, we wanted to experience something stronger and different, and more fun than cigarettes. Earlier, it was ‘grass’ or ‘weed’ (marijuana or ‘faiy[1]’) and ‘hash-oil’ (theyo[2]), which was available, but since 1992 ‘brown-sugar’ or hakuru (brown sugar - heroin) was available and became the choice of drug for most of us.

“I remember first time I used ganja with our friends, “Oh man, this is crazy, I am using ganja”, If someone finds out, I’ll be in deep shit” (Rd, male addict, 38 years).

In most cases, our friends introduced us to drugs (80%). For some of us it was our boyfriends and girlfriends (4%). Most of us had siblings in our families who used as well (3%), or more other family members (4%) we knew used drugs. We used together but we did not introduce it to them. Our younger siblings probably learned about it through us and maybe they started it with their friends. Once we found out that they were using, we used together. We tried to protect each other’s back and did each other favors.

"Before I was got into the addiction, my brother was already an addict. But I never tried to make him stop. I was always with them, my brother and his gang. One day I got a call from some of my friends. They said that they were in trouble. I love my brother and my friends so I got involved in them. But I had never used drugs. I was arrested for robbery and I was banished to an island for 1 year and 6 months. At the time I used to deal all kinds of drugs. After some time I was released and I came back to Male’. The Police killed my brother and I started using drugs that same day. That day I went to many people for help but I got none. All I got that day was the drugs. Drugs became my best friend, I would be with the devil everyday". (AN, male recovering addict, 23 years old).

In 2000, I was working on a resort and I came back to Male’ on holiday. That’s when I found out that my little brother was using heroin. I was sick that day and he knew it and asked me if I needed some heroin. I said yes and for the first time I used heroin with my brother. I used heroin with him for 4 years. (MA, male recovering addict, 24 years old).

We were using drugs in the places we used to hang out in, either at a friend’s place or somewhere where we had access to freedom. We were chasing the dragon so it had to be a closed place where there would be no wind. But after that, our using places changed from place to place and we didn’t care where we were, as or where we had to go as long as we got our drugs.
The following shows you most of us got drugs from our friends. Do you know who your children’s friends are?

Sick – used to describe effects of withdrawal
[1] Dhivehi word for marijuana
[2] Dhivehi word for hash oil