As per the report students in West Bengal‘s Durgapur have been buying condoms; but not for use as a contraceptive. And are instead using it as an intoxication! This bizarre trend has raised many questions, several of which are concerned towards the health of the students.
So, what’s the report all about?
A shopkeeper of a medical shop told the media that the number of condom packets being sold on a daily basis has increased manifold.
The report claims that the sale of flavored condoms has drastically increased in several parts of Durgapur like Durgapur City Center, Bidhannagar, Benachiti, and Muchipara, C Zone, A Zone.
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The bizarre reason behind this surge in condom selling-buying came to fore when a shopkeeper asked about it to a customer, the report says. To this the customer, a young person, replied condom is also
What’s the “intoxicating” thing in a condom?
As per a chemistry teacher, soaking condoms in hot water for a long time breaks down large organic molecules and creates alcohol compounds. This compound is keeping the youth intoxicated.
The aromatic compound in condoms is the intoxicating element. This compound is also present in dendrites, which is again a very commonly used product for intoxication. Considered to be a substandard method of intoxication, the use of dendrite is very common and is mostly among young people.
Other intoxications
People have weird choices when it comes to intoxication. Few bizarre ones include drinking cough syrup, sniffing glue and industrial adhesive products, inhaling paint, nail polish, and inhaling whiteners.
Even many people are seen getting intoxicated by consuming hand sanitisers and aftershave.
The health hazards
Young people who regularly intoxicate themselves with these compounds develop serious health complications ranging from chest pain to chronic headache.
The worst part is these individuals are so much addicted that they eventually end up using these intoxications as a remedy for their ailments. This increases their dependency on the addictions.
“Commonly used inhalants include gasoline, glue, spray paints, solvents, cleaning fluids, and the other assorted aerosols. The pattern of use includes sniffing or snorting, huffing, and bagging. The use of inhalants is associated with a feeling of euphoria which is intensified by the hypercapnia and hypoxia caused by rebreathing from a closed bag. Adolescents who meet the criteria for dependence or abuse report coexisting delinquent behaviors, multiple drug abuse and dependence, and utilize mental health services for other emotional problems,” says a 2011 research study by researchers at Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India and Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Institute, SCB Medical College, Cuttack, Odisha, India.
Early signs of intoxication are:
- Nausea
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Nose bleeding
- Bad breath or halitosis
- Exhaustion
- Loss of appetite