P M MATHEW , VELLOOR
History testifies the fact that since the early days man has been making use of the leaves, seeds, extracts and serum of plants to bring changes in his behaviour, feelings and expressions. In 4th century B C Sumerians were using opium extracted from poppy plant. There is reference in the Bible that Noah had behaved indecently under the influence of liquor. Even some kind of divinity was attached to the Ganja used by the sages and rich of ancient India. Today the use of drugs is on the increase beyond any proportion. In recent times drugs are creating a notable “psychedelic revolution” itself.
Apart from coffee (caffeine), tobacco (nicotin), liquor and the like a variety of narcotic drugs like cocaine, amphetamine and their byproducts like mescaline, LSD., DET., Marijuana, ethanol, barbiturates opium, morphine, codeine and heroin are now available. Morphine and codeine were first extracted from poppy plant in 1806 and 1832. Heroin was invented in 1898. (Heroin which was invented to salvage a person who was addicted to morphine is today the most dangerous of all narcotic drugs. Amphetamine and LSD were invented in 1927 and 1938 respectively. Information about dioaxiaphitami is only very recent. Certainly there is possibility of inventing more of such narcotic drugs. The attempts of scientists to categorise narcotics as stimulants and depressants turned out to be futile. The reasons were many. The volume difference of a single narcotic content in a person is liable to cause different reactions. For example a simple dose of morphine will make one sleepy. If taken more it will act as a stimulant. A small dose of marijuana will create a feeling of ecstasy while an overdose will lead to mental hallucination. Liquor will impart vigor to a depressed mind and a controlling effect on the over-smart mind. The experience of those who take drugs occasionally will be entirely different from those who use it regularly. If one takes it regularly the urge to increase the dosage gradually is only natural and eventually a stage will come wherein he could not live without it. This state is called Psychic dependence. Caffeine, nicotine etc will cause this dependence only slightly. But sudden stoppage of the use of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, mescaline and amphetamine will lead to severe depression and restlessness. Psychedelic depression associated with codeine, opium, morphine and heroin will be very serious. When they become unavailable, it may lead to anxiety, emotional disorder, anger and even uncontrollable violence. In order to have the same initial effect one may have to gradually increase the dose also.
Just like psychedelic dependence some may experience physical dependence. The usual physical symptoms following stoppage of the drug will be body pain, sleeplessness, yawning, nausea, omitting, diarrhea and blurring of vision. Such a prolonged physical condition can be described as physical dependence. Apart from this, the use of cocaine, amphetamine, mescaline and the like may lead to mental disorders in some cases. It is also a fact that those who are prone to mental disorders used to manifest an urge to use drugs. It is also seen that the intellect will gradually come down due to the continuous usage of ethanol, barbiturate, opium, morphine and heroin. Some will gradually lose the sense of surroundings and even reach a stage of not remembering their own name. In many studies it is pointed out that most of the narcotic drugs would damage the brain and other vital organs of the body. Particularly liquor affects the liver first. Morphine invites fatal diseases. LSD is capable of even destroying the chromosomes which bear within them one’s genetic traits.
The eagerness to enhance creativity and intellect some times compels a person to try drugs. Some resort to drugs to minimize the shocks caused by problems of life. Some use the drugs as a protest against the social set up which failed to give them the comforts of their expectation. Some who start using it as a medicine to get relief from severe physical pain continue using it, lured by the pleasure it has been giving. These and many others are the reasons that lead one to the world of drugs. But at the moment they seem to be not conscious about the long term consequences of the same. Twenty years ago narcotic drugs were being used widely only as a medicine in western countries. But in later years the number of persons using these drugs as tranquilizers started increasing beyond any proportion due to a variety of reasons. In England use of drugs has been legally banned on the lines of the ban on marriage between homosexuals. Timothy Leory who leads the movement in favour drug usage was a teacher at the Harvard University. Ousted from the University he has now become a prophet of narcotic drugs. To an extent he is responsible for this trend.
The craze towards drugs is spreading as a contagious disease among the youth of India. The need of the hour is more scientific studies on this menace which has already been taken up as a subject matter for study by social scientists and psychologists. Alcoholic Anonymous is an organisation which helps people to stop drinking and lead a normal life. Another organisation called Synanon also works on the same lines. This is an organisation which helps one to bring his personal self and character under control so as to lead a better and decent life. The members are mostly those who have escaped from the clutches of drugs. Such organizations could be launched in India too.
In Malayalam, books dealing with this vital issue of contemporary importance are very rare. The only ones available are: Translation of L G Mukherji’s “Enemies of Health” (liquor, tobacco, opium etc) published in 1923 (page 67), “The harmful Effects of Liquor, Tobacco etc published in 1930 (Author: Superintendent, Government Press, Madras- page 50), a scientific study on Gnaja published in Vinjana Kairali and a few essays by Aranmula Hariharaputhran. These are not books which contain updated advanced information. In this backdrop, “the World of Drugs” by Sunny Kulathakkal is really a blessing to the Malayalam language and readers. In the first chapter titled “In search of bliss”, the writer while referring to the increasing craze for drugs among the University students in Mumbai, is attempting to explain the growing influence of liquor among the young generation through the interviews he had with foreign Hippies at Ekasthanan, the headquarters of the Hippies in Bangalore. He introduces those foreign Hippies who are in search of new experiences after earning a lot of money through handwork as well as those irresponsible Indian youths who are losing their physical and mental health by going after drugs just due to the craze for imitation. The second chapter discusses the world wide repercussions of the psychedelic revolution which started followign the experiment of Aldus Huxley in 1954. In the next eight chapters the writer deals with the variety of narcotic drugs, the physical and mental addiction it creates, drug usage in different countries and the modus operandi of smugglers which is more amazing than what we come across in detective stories. The book also deals with the mental and social reasons behind the modern man being lured into the enchanting trap of drugs. The story of Peter Mark, an artist who had a premature death at the age of 35 after being trapped in the mesmerizing world of drugs is certain to create shock waves in the readers’ mind.
The last chapter refers to the efforts of a few experts to suggest remedies to the menace of the growing usage of drugs and it turning intothreat to the very culture of modern man.
Purpose of the writer is not to attempt a serious scientific analysis of drugs. But the book is enough to give a somewhat a basic knowledge about the same. Sunny’s simple and straight writing style is commendable. The writer is only presenting before the readers the drugs which are fast influencing the young generation and their harmful effects. His propriety of not attempting a moral discourse on the stage is also commendable.
I am pleased to introduce this book to the readers with the optimism they will appreciate the noble attempt made by Sunny Kulathakkal.
(Preface written for “The World of Drugs”)
History testifies the fact that since the early days man has been making use of the leaves, seeds, extracts and serum of plants to bring changes in his behaviour, feelings and expressions. In 4th century B C Sumerians were using opium extracted from poppy plant. There is reference in the Bible that Noah had behaved indecently under the influence of liquor. Even some kind of divinity was attached to the Ganja used by the sages and rich of ancient India. Today the use of drugs is on the increase beyond any proportion. In recent times drugs are creating a notable “psychedelic revolution” itself.
Apart from coffee (caffeine), tobacco (nicotin), liquor and the like a variety of narcotic drugs like cocaine, amphetamine and their byproducts like mescaline, LSD., DET., Marijuana, ethanol, barbiturates opium, morphine, codeine and heroin are now available. Morphine and codeine were first extracted from poppy plant in 1806 and 1832. Heroin was invented in 1898. (Heroin which was invented to salvage a person who was addicted to morphine is today the most dangerous of all narcotic drugs. Amphetamine and LSD were invented in 1927 and 1938 respectively. Information about dioaxiaphitami is only very recent. Certainly there is possibility of inventing more of such narcotic drugs. The attempts of scientists to categorise narcotics as stimulants and depressants turned out to be futile. The reasons were many. The volume difference of a single narcotic content in a person is liable to cause different reactions. For example a simple dose of morphine will make one sleepy. If taken more it will act as a stimulant. A small dose of marijuana will create a feeling of ecstasy while an overdose will lead to mental hallucination. Liquor will impart vigor to a depressed mind and a controlling effect on the over-smart mind. The experience of those who take drugs occasionally will be entirely different from those who use it regularly. If one takes it regularly the urge to increase the dosage gradually is only natural and eventually a stage will come wherein he could not live without it. This state is called Psychic dependence. Caffeine, nicotine etc will cause this dependence only slightly. But sudden stoppage of the use of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, mescaline and amphetamine will lead to severe depression and restlessness. Psychedelic depression associated with codeine, opium, morphine and heroin will be very serious. When they become unavailable, it may lead to anxiety, emotional disorder, anger and even uncontrollable violence. In order to have the same initial effect one may have to gradually increase the dose also.
Just like psychedelic dependence some may experience physical dependence. The usual physical symptoms following stoppage of the drug will be body pain, sleeplessness, yawning, nausea, omitting, diarrhea and blurring of vision. Such a prolonged physical condition can be described as physical dependence. Apart from this, the use of cocaine, amphetamine, mescaline and the like may lead to mental disorders in some cases. It is also a fact that those who are prone to mental disorders used to manifest an urge to use drugs. It is also seen that the intellect will gradually come down due to the continuous usage of ethanol, barbiturate, opium, morphine and heroin. Some will gradually lose the sense of surroundings and even reach a stage of not remembering their own name. In many studies it is pointed out that most of the narcotic drugs would damage the brain and other vital organs of the body. Particularly liquor affects the liver first. Morphine invites fatal diseases. LSD is capable of even destroying the chromosomes which bear within them one’s genetic traits.
The eagerness to enhance creativity and intellect some times compels a person to try drugs. Some resort to drugs to minimize the shocks caused by problems of life. Some use the drugs as a protest against the social set up which failed to give them the comforts of their expectation. Some who start using it as a medicine to get relief from severe physical pain continue using it, lured by the pleasure it has been giving. These and many others are the reasons that lead one to the world of drugs. But at the moment they seem to be not conscious about the long term consequences of the same. Twenty years ago narcotic drugs were being used widely only as a medicine in western countries. But in later years the number of persons using these drugs as tranquilizers started increasing beyond any proportion due to a variety of reasons. In England use of drugs has been legally banned on the lines of the ban on marriage between homosexuals. Timothy Leory who leads the movement in favour drug usage was a teacher at the Harvard University. Ousted from the University he has now become a prophet of narcotic drugs. To an extent he is responsible for this trend.
The craze towards drugs is spreading as a contagious disease among the youth of India. The need of the hour is more scientific studies on this menace which has already been taken up as a subject matter for study by social scientists and psychologists. Alcoholic Anonymous is an organisation which helps people to stop drinking and lead a normal life. Another organisation called Synanon also works on the same lines. This is an organisation which helps one to bring his personal self and character under control so as to lead a better and decent life. The members are mostly those who have escaped from the clutches of drugs. Such organizations could be launched in India too.
In Malayalam, books dealing with this vital issue of contemporary importance are very rare. The only ones available are: Translation of L G Mukherji’s “Enemies of Health” (liquor, tobacco, opium etc) published in 1923 (page 67), “The harmful Effects of Liquor, Tobacco etc published in 1930 (Author: Superintendent, Government Press, Madras- page 50), a scientific study on Gnaja published in Vinjana Kairali and a few essays by Aranmula Hariharaputhran. These are not books which contain updated advanced information. In this backdrop, “the World of Drugs” by Sunny Kulathakkal is really a blessing to the Malayalam language and readers. In the first chapter titled “In search of bliss”, the writer while referring to the increasing craze for drugs among the University students in Mumbai, is attempting to explain the growing influence of liquor among the young generation through the interviews he had with foreign Hippies at Ekasthanan, the headquarters of the Hippies in Bangalore. He introduces those foreign Hippies who are in search of new experiences after earning a lot of money through handwork as well as those irresponsible Indian youths who are losing their physical and mental health by going after drugs just due to the craze for imitation. The second chapter discusses the world wide repercussions of the psychedelic revolution which started followign the experiment of Aldus Huxley in 1954. In the next eight chapters the writer deals with the variety of narcotic drugs, the physical and mental addiction it creates, drug usage in different countries and the modus operandi of smugglers which is more amazing than what we come across in detective stories. The book also deals with the mental and social reasons behind the modern man being lured into the enchanting trap of drugs. The story of Peter Mark, an artist who had a premature death at the age of 35 after being trapped in the mesmerizing world of drugs is certain to create shock waves in the readers’ mind.
The last chapter refers to the efforts of a few experts to suggest remedies to the menace of the growing usage of drugs and it turning intothreat to the very culture of modern man.
Purpose of the writer is not to attempt a serious scientific analysis of drugs. But the book is enough to give a somewhat a basic knowledge about the same. Sunny’s simple and straight writing style is commendable. The writer is only presenting before the readers the drugs which are fast influencing the young generation and their harmful effects. His propriety of not attempting a moral discourse on the stage is also commendable.
I am pleased to introduce this book to the readers with the optimism they will appreciate the noble attempt made by Sunny Kulathakkal.
(Preface written for “The World of Drugs”)
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