Our society is crippled by several social problems, such as corruption,dowry, organised crime, domestic violence, female infanticide, unemployment,begging, poverty etc. And all these problems contribute to a new problem andthat is one of the fast growing problem – Drug Addiction. As the time passesthe number of young addicts to drugs increases to alarming levels. Drugs likeBrown Sugar, Alcohol, Ganja, Charas, Morphine, Cocaine, Hash Oil, Mescaline,LSD etc. are now frequently abused.
The National Institute of DrugAbuse (NIDA) defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that ischaracterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.In terms of global statistics it is the third largest business in the word nextto petroleum and arms trade. According to the latest World Drug Report 2019, 35million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders. About 270 millionpeople all over the world consume one drug or other.
Addiction generally refers to negative connotation. It is not just aboutthe heroin, cocaine, or other illegal drugs. You can get addicted to alcohol,nicotine (found in tobacco product), painkillers and other legal substances.Addiction is when you can’t stop. Not when it puts your health in danger, notwhen it causes financial, emotional or any other problems for you or yourfamily. It is a disease that affects your brain and behaviour. Loving yourbeloved beyond limit is also an addiction; Researchers find that intensefeeling of romantic love affect the brain in the same way as the drugs likecocaine or some other pain relievers do.
At national level about 14.6% of the people is current user of alcoholi.e. Almost 16 crore people. About 2.8% of the Indian (3.6 crore individual)are using cannabis product. Bhang-2% or 2.2 crore people, Ganja /charas 1.2% or1.3 crore people. There are about 8.5 lakh people who inject drugs.
According to the survey sponsored by United Nation Drug Control Programme(UNDCP) there are 70,000 drug addicts in Kashmir division alone including 4000women. As per Government Psychiatric Disease Hospital (GPDH) statistics 90%abuses belong to the age group of 17 to 35 yr.
It is very harmful to society and is increasing at very fast rate.Kashmir is visited by lakhs of tourists every year. It has been estimated thatabout 2 lakh to 5 lakh migrant labours are in Kashmir and most of them are fromUttar Pradesh and Bihar. UP is among the top five states of India that havelargest population of people taking drugs.
Drug abuse has various social, cultural, geographical, biological,historical and economic aspects. The disintegration of joint family system,absence of parental love and care in modern families where both parents arebusy with their own works, decline of old religious and moral values etc., lead to rise in number of drug addicts.Absence of parental care is one of the basic reasons which leads to weakeningthe emotional bond between parents and there young ones. Stressful homeenvironment and broken families are often the contributory factors; if thechild’s basic needs like security, response, recognition and development arenot adequately met at home, he develops feelings of frustration, inadequacy andemotional insecurity. He seeks to derive satisfaction from any other source andcan come in contact with unscrupulous persons. This peer group of adissatisfied adolescent provide a way to engage in drug addiction.
Beside government, NGOs, senior citizens, religious group, youth andteachers should come forward and launch a campaign for removal of this socialevil. Every citizen should need to co-operate to the govt. and other voluntaryagencies who are working for the removal of this evil. Some of the preventionstrategies are; there should be strong family relationship: brothers, sistersand parents, in schools teachers should focus on children’s moral and ethicalvalues and drug refusal skill, there should be awareness programme in schoolsand colleges, increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol products to reduce useparticularly among young people, religious and moral education to the childrenat early age so that they know the difference between good and bad.
“if you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime”. Those peoplewho have fallen victim to such harmful evil need to quit as soon as possible.