Pakistan is today notorious for many things but in the 20 years, drug production and addiction has increasingly become just one of them.
Drug abuse is rapidly growing in Pakistan, especially among youth. Almost five percent of the adult population is addicted to drugs across the country, keeping Pakistan at the top of the list among the countries, which are affected by this scourge. Drug addiction is often overshadowed with human development problems such as poverty, illiteracy and lack of basic healthcare. About seven million people are drug addicts, while 700 people die every day in Pakistan due to drug-related complications. Drug abuse is rapidly growing in Pakistan and South Asia.
Pakistan became a major exporter of heroin in 1980s following the influx of Afghan refugees escaping the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
Today, Pakistan is not only one of the main exporters of heroin; it has also become a net importer of drugs. It is estimated that about 50 tonnes of opium are smuggled in Pakistan for processing heroin for domestic use. Out of almost nine million drug addicts in Pakistan, two million are in the age of 15 to 25. As a proportion of drug abuser, heroin users have increased from 7.5 percent in 1983 to a shocking 51 percent a decade later in 1993.
According to a collaborative research by the Narcotic Division, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations, there are 7.6 million drug addicts in the country out of which 78 percent are men and 22 percent women. The rate of increase in the number of drug addicts is 40,000 a year. The most disturbing fact revealed by the survey is the growing number of heroin addicts in the country with the average age of users falling below 24.
A recent survey of 10 colleges and two universities of Lahore brought to light some eye opening facts related to drug abuse among students. The majority of students surveyed 57 percent reported using one or more drugs.
Reason behind alarmingly increasing in number of drug addicts is that the drug cartels are fully backed and supported by the powerful and wealthy persons, who have got ample influence. Drug abuse is also linked to various factors such as risk taking behaviours that may involve experimenting with narcotics, smoking and alcohol, social isolation, stress, anxiety, depression, modern lifestyle, unemployment, excessive pocket money and lack of supervision of parents. In general, drug use leads to a number of health problems such as malnutrition, apathy and loneliness.
There is need to stop supply of illicit drugs and reduce its demand – where treatment is the core approach – as drug abuse in Pakistan has increased dramatically in the past few decades.
Awareness campaigns through mass media, essay contests, lectures and declamation contests in schools, colleges and universities should be run in order to create awareness about the ill effects of drug addiction. Tobacco smoking is the gateway to drug abuse so it should be controlled. Parents should be vigilant, keep their children busy and motivate them to say their prayers regularly. Teachers can play a significant role to aware the students about drug abuse. The evil could not be controlled through strict administrative directives and unnecessary power but just through proper counselling, awareness and rational actions.