Social Pattern Changing

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30724, 13 April 1965, Page 17

Social Pattern Changing

(N Z. Press Assn.— Copyright) LONDON, April 12. Drug-taking might well be usurping the place of sex as a fundamental excitement or “kick” of youth, Dr. Arnold Linken, of the student health service at University College, London, has said, “The Times” reports. He was addressing the Howard League for Penal Reform at a conference on “changes in adolescent culture,” which opened on Saturday. With the new tolerance of sexual activity, young people

were looking around for other ways of breaking out of the social pattern. Dr. Linken said.

Two years ago he had found, in an exploration of coffee bars, university common rooms, and other places where young people went, that drugs were commonly taken, but not the hard drugs used in America. University students frequently took drugs “intellectually” to achieve certain kinds of perception or perhaps to intensify their feeling for jazz. At the other end of the scale, the delinquency group used them for “kicks.” But today the pattern seemed to have changed with more and more young people turning to hard drugs.

They became addicted to drugs when they found in them a way to overcome an obvious complaint adolescent depression, Dr. Linken said, “The Times” reported. To prevent it, it was important to help young people to deal with the causes of their depression. The problem was serious and needed more than the present repressive measures to cure it.

To be erf real help to young people, adults must “grow up” in their attitude on sexual matters. The new morality would mean an increase in pregnancy. “We must provide medical facilities for dealing with this and not rush young people into marriage or abortion,” Dr. Linken said.