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This article describes the rise of glue-sniffing in Singapore again. Despite having died down since its first appearance over two decade ago, glue-sniffing is becoming popular among teenagers again. It is a horrific addiction that has effects such as memory loss, uncontrollable bleeding and bruising, permanent damage to brain, liver and kidneys as well as a loss of control over bodily functions. Yet, many teens still do it. Why?
One of the most common factors in commiting any vice - drugs, smoking or alcohol - is due to peer pressure. In a group of teenagers, there are always those who are there purely to seek company and friendship. As such, they would follow whatever their peer suggests, without stopping to reason why. When one rotten apple comes into contact with others, they all become polluted by the disease.
Another reason is the ease of sniffing glue. Glue, unlike drugs or alcohol, is a "poor man's addiction", readily available at any hardware store for a very small amount of money. It is suitable for teens who come from low-income families. This also leads to another point - teens whose parents are less well-off are often back home late due to extra work. As such, such teenagers often have insufficient supervision, and are free to indulge in these bad habits without anyone to stop them.
The satisfaction factor in teenagers is also a factor. There are two forms of satisfaction. The first is the more obvious "high" after inhaling the odour of glue. Teens are able to disengage from their real-life problems and worries and enjoy moments of bliss. The second is more subtle - teenagers who are experiencing certain stages of puberty are more prone to disregarding parents' instructions just for a certain thrill. Defying orders and rules give these teenagers a certain satisfaction too.
Like alcohol and drug addiction, there are centres for glue-sniffing counselling and rehabilitation. These all provide help for glue-sniffing addicts. However, prevention is better than cure, and a better method is to prevent these teenagers from straying onto the wrong path.
Most importantly, parents must play an active role in their children's
development. For example, simply showing care and concern is a good first step. Parents should first seek to gain the confidence of their children. In this way, they can act as their kids' confidante, rather than wayward peers who will seek to lead these misguided teenagers away from the right path. This will not only minimize peer pressure, but will also allow the parents to monitor their kids more stringently.
When parents have gained their children's confidence, they then have to take a greater hand in their children's moral guidance. There is no point of working late to earn extra money but ending up with misguided kids who are misfits in society. With proper social and moral education, teenagers will be less susceptible to such vices.
Steps must be taken to stop this societal trend. No matter how many talks or courses our teenagers go through, they will not change their ways unless their loved ones have more commitment towards them. Only the parents can stop the glue-sniffing scourge among teenagers as well as other vices and bad habits.
Word Count: 510 words
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