They are engaged in pick pocketing, stealing and in other wrong deeds for making a living. [break]
In the past, they used to be kept in children´s reform homes, but now for lack of space and donor aid, they are compelled to live in the streets. They use drugs, and sniff glue daily to avoid cold in winter months.
A 13-year old boy found at Thamel, Som Tamang said, "It is very pleasant to sniff, as we do not have money for eating anything, we do not need any food if we have it." Many like him are in the bad habit.
CWIN-Nepal Programme Officer Shuvaraj Pokhrel said they use it as it is not banned and is cheaper than drugs.
Glue is a tranquilizer, which makes serious impact on children´s health, Spark Health Policlinic General Physician Dr. Prakash Shrestha said, adding it can affect people and make like a mentally retarded.
CWIN-Nepal Legal Aide Sagar Bhandari said in latest times, they are engaged in crimes like rape.
Nepal has only two children´s reform homes, one in Kathmandu and other in Biratnagar. They have 70-75 capacity each.
Some 150,000 people have been abusers of drugs in Nepal and some 106,000 of Class 6-10 and 24,000 of ten plus two are fallen in its trap.
In Kathmandu valley, some 95 percent of some 5,000 street children are in the habit of sniffing gums.
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