Daily Times

Over years, drug use in the younger generation has spiked up drastically in Pakistan. Hash, Dirty Hash, weed (different types of Marijuana) Ecstasy, Crystal, Cocaine, Ice…… are now available more easily and to a younger market. Oxygen is another relatively new addiction. It is a subject people will not want to discuss, to accept their offspring is on drugs is difficult to say the least and getting him/her treated is a stigma they can do without at the cost of lives of the young ones.

Recovery from drug addiction requires along with will power, treatment with antipsychotic drugs as symptoms are the same as any psychotic disorder. Rehabilitation Centre may not always work as relapse once placed back in the same environment and in the same society of people is very, very high.

According to the Anti-Narcotics force heroin remained the most popular drug being abused by 77%. The opioid users fall in the age bracket of 15-64 years which is a very high rate. Charas (Cannabis) is the first step to drug addiction and the introduction to the world of drugs. The young user is not aware that there are different qualities in hash- the cheapest, a square inch known as “dirty hash” is available for as less as Rs 2000- sold in DHA Lahore.  This is good for roughly fifteen cigarettes give or take. This kind of hash is mixed with other chemicals to increase profit margin and hook the user. Among other chemicals, it may also contain burnt car tires and the black ‘tar-coal’ used on carpeting of roads. Single cigarettes for Rs 100 per unit are also available with small vendors. Psychiatrists that hash abuse and/or mixed with other drugs lead to severe mood swings, paranoia and hallucinations. The writer has met youngsters suffering from side reactions of this drug abuse. The first effect of hash is loss of appetite. The loss of appetite can lead to zero meals a day, drastic loss of weight and dark circles under the eyes. The hallucinations are horrific, and extremely stressful for the family and the abuser. Hallucinations lead to the user creating a world of his/her own, getting cut-off from actual reality. Paranoia can become a danger if the user of the drug starts viewing his/her family as enemies. The diagnosis for this is “cannabis induced psychosis”.

The use has become so widespread and common, that in DHA, Lahore, more often than not, the “parchoon wala” (small vendors selling cigarettes, cold drinks) carry SMK (local rolling paper for making of marihuana cigarettes) for Rs 120/ a pack. (Each pack carrying paper for 10 cigarettes) A call is placed to the front-runner of the supplier, a code word given and the requirement, time and place of delivery confirmed. It can be in a park, outside a café, outside one of the many departmental stores. The possibilities are limitless. and may leave the house for a ‘safer’ place to live. Different drug suppliers have their own ‘beats’ and strictly adhere to this area allocated.

There are many reasons why the younger lot in particular choose to do drugs. It can be any number of or combination of different reasons: peer pressure, sense of adventurism, depression, escape from reality and issues it poses, economic frustration. Whatever the reason, it offers an immediate escape into a world where failures and problems do not exist.

The choice of poison depends upon how deep the pockets of the purchaser are.

“Causes of drug abuse among university students in Pakistan”, published in March 2020 by the Pakistan Social Sciences Review quarterly journal, looked into the causes behind drug abuse among university students. It found that the major reasons for drug abuse were peer pressure (96%), educational stress (90%) and inquisitiveness (88%). It put the number of drug addicts in Pakistan at 7.6 million people, mostly young people and university students, of which 78% are male and 22% are female, and said this number is increasing by 40,000 per year.
It noted that students in university accommodation such as hostels and men were more frequent drug-users compared to girls and those in other accommodation. It must be noted here that these are reported cases. In most cases the family too refuses to accept or seek treatment for either social stigma or cost of treatment.

A teacher who has taught in many high-profile schools told the writer on promise of anonymity that the use of hash is so widespread that no school expels a student because of drugs. This is criminal. It exposes those not on drugs to peer pressure and in many cases to become hooked on drugs. In addition, many times, parents may not be aware of their child having it thereby making any school behaving in this manner grossly negligent of their duties. They are absolutely responsible for what happens within their premises. There are some reports of lower staff of some school tuck shops running successful sales. One father shifted his family to the UAE as he feels that drugs are less easily available there than in Pakistan.

There are also reports of drug parties at some farmhouses. Rs 3500/ per ticket for an entrance ticket of a hash drug party and Rs 13500/ for hard drug parties and may go up to Rs 25000 per ticket. According to a report of Dunya News, “Many young boys and girls were initially invited to the parties and a slightly light dose of cocktail (a type of drug), Ecstasy tablets, Columbian Cocaine, Molly and MDMA was given to each attendee of the party so that they could get addicted to it and eventually end up buying those drugs in exchange of heavy amounts. The report also revealed that Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad were the hubs of the drug trade. Johar Town, Satu Katla, Burki Road, Manawan, Gajju Mata, Bedian Road farmhouses, Defence, Shadman, Gulberg and Nasirabad were the areas where dance parties and gigs were organized. The mafia had also been reported inviting youth from rich and influential families after which their secret videos were made during the time when guests were left helpless in ‘peak rushes’ ( a state when drugs fully controls the mind and body of the user).” (July 26, 2016)

Hash is the cheapest of drugs available in Pakistan. The best quality of hash priced higher is “Amir Gul ” that is smuggled in from Afghanistan. The production of hashish has increased manifold and its export to neighboring countries and beyond is a major contributor to not only the Taliban kitty but also the occupying forces.

“In 2006, 165,000 hectares of land in Afghanistan were used to cultivate opium poppy. This is a 59% increase from 2005, when 104,000 hectares were cultivated. The UNODC attributes much of the increase in Afghan cultivation to large-scale opium production in southern Afghanistan. Specifically, 42% of the opium cultivated in Afghanistan in 2006 came from the Helmand province”. [Two Sides of the Same Coin: The Link Between Illicit Opium Production and Security in Afghanistan: Elizabeth Peterson Washington University School of Law] And Pakistan is a huge market for Afghan hashish smuggled across the border.

For starters, the law enforcing agencies must round up the suppliers. It is extremely, extremely important. The more difficult we make the procurement, the better it will be. Education for the parents is extremely important. One cannot go door-to-door; schools must be earmarked with mandatory parents’ attendance, strict policy guidelines for private schools need to be drafted and followed. The checks and balances on the implantation are a crucial part.

This is an extremely crucial issue- for which there is no check and no strategy. A generation is being destroyed in the meanwhile.

The writer is a lawyer, academic and political analyst. She has authored a book titled ‘A Comparative Analysis of Media & Media Laws in Pakistan.’ She can be contacted at: yasmeenali62@gmail.com and tweets at @yasmeen_9