Daily Times

KARACHI: Healthcare experts have demanded the federal and all the provincial governments to launch a well-planned, organised and rigorous crackdown against drug manufacturers, smugglers and peddlers across Pakistan to save the educational institutes from consequences of drug abuse.

While talking to Pakistan Press International (PPI), Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) General Secretary Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad welcomed the statement of Interior and Narcotics Control Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan regarding the start of a concerted campaign against use of narcotics in schools and educational institutions. He said that the decision has been taken very late but PMA welcomes the federal government’s movement. He added that PMA has been demanding an organised and rigorous crackdown against drug manufacturers and peddlers for a long time, in order to save the nation from hazardous affects of drugs.

He said that a well-planned and organised crackdown should be launched throughout the country from primary school to university level. He suggested all the provincial governments to follow the federal ministry of narcotics decision and start crackdown against drug suppliers in their respective provinces.

The general secretary informed that the consumption of tobacco products in students from primary schools to universities has become fashion and more than 50 percent, male and female students are using betel nets, bet leaf, sheesha, cigarette, heroin, marijuana, hashish, opium and other drugs in educational institutes.

He said that unfortunately 14 percent girl students are also using different forms of drugs in Sindh and in other parts of the country. The misuse of drugs from school going children to university level students has alarmingly increased in the country. He demanded the federal and provincial governments to impose a complete ban on selling tobacco and other drugs inside the premises or around the educational institutes across the country, besides launching a comprehensive crackdown on drug importers, manufactures and suppliers.

Another leader of PMA, Mirza Ali Azhar, said the consumption of drugs and other tobacco-related products has rapidly increased in rural and urban areas. Girls and boys are using drugs in different forms adding that cigarette is the starting point to go for other drugs. He said federal and provincial governments should maintain proper checking system in educational institutes and comprehensive efforts needed to break the chain of drugs supply to educational institutes.

He said drugs are not produced or manufactured in Pakistan but generally imported from neighboring countries; therefore, law enforcement agencies should maintain strict monitoring of borders to stop the supply of drugs into the country. He said the consumption of drugs and other tobacco-related products have destroyed the whole society, especially the young generation.

He said the oral cancer has become a leading cause of death in Pakistan due to the use of tobacco-made products. Dr Mirza said sheesha smoking is also on the rise in youngsters but they are not aware of the fact that smoking sheesha for one hour is equal to smoking 200 cigarettes.

He demanded of the authorities concerned to launch a rigorous drive against drug producers, importer, suppliers, facilitators and drug peddlers involved in supplying narcotics in educational institutions. He said special surveillance teams should be formed to monitor the activities of gangs involved in supplying drugs to the educational institutions.

He said sincere, well-planned, organized and comprehensive efforts needed to stop the supply of narcotics to schools and other educational institutions. He said the use of narcotics is a menace from which our children must be protected, adding that those who were pushing the innocent children towards narcotics are criminals of the whole nation.