Question

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
In 2021, 5.3 percent of 15 to 16-year-olds worldwide (13.5 million individuals) had used Cannabis in the past year according to UNODC. The adolescent brain is still developing and drug use can have long-term negative effects. Early drug use initiation can lead to faster development of dependence than in adults and other problems in adulthood. Parts of the Amazon Basin are at the intersection of multiple forms of organized crimes that are accelerating devastation, with severe implications for the security, health, and well-being of the population across the region. The direct impact of coca cultivation on deforestation is minimal, but indirectly it acts as a catalyst for "Narco-deforestation." The laundering of drug trafficking profits into land speculation etc. is posing a growing danger to the world's largest rainforest.

(a) Which age group or period of growth are people more vulnerable to drug abuse?

(b) Explain the negative impact of coca cultivation on the world's largest rainforest.

(c)
(i) From which part of the plant are cannabinoids mainly obtained? Mention any one negative effect of this drug on adolescents.
OR
(ii) State the scientific name of the plant from which coca alkaloids are derived and state one negative impact of the use of excessive dosage of cocaine.

Hint:

Adolescence is a high-risk period for drug addiction; early awareness and preventive measures are essential for long-term health and safety.

Answer 1

(a) People in the 15 to 16-year-old age group — typically adolescents — are more vulnerable to drug abuse.

This is because the adolescent brain is still developing, making it more susceptible to the harmful effects of drugs, including faster development of dependence and long-term issues in adulthood.

(b) While coca cultivation has minimal direct impact on deforestation, it has a significant indirect effect by acting as a catalyst for "Narco-deforestation".

This happens when drug trafficking profits are laundered into land speculation and other activities, leading to accelerated destruction of the Amazon rainforest — the world's largest rainforest — and impacting the region’s security, health, and well-being.

(c)

(i)

• Cannabinoids are mainly obtained from the resin (glandular trichomes) of the Cannabis plant.
• One negative effect of cannabinoid use in adolescents is that it can lead to long-term cognitive impairment and increased risk of addiction or dependence.

OR

(ii) 

• The scientific name of the plant is Erythroxylum coca.
• Excessive dosage of cocaine can lead to severe health issues such as hallucinations, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or even death.