Drug addiction is a major social evil of modern times. It has spread its tentacles among the young and the old, and the rich and the poor. It is a problem of the whole society and has eaten into its vitals.In the beginning a person takes a drug out of curiosity or for pleasure. But once he gets used to drugs, he becomes an addict. He finds it difficult to give up the habit. The condition of a drug addict, when he does not get his usual dose, needs to be seen.His whole body suffers in unbearable pain and maddening agony. He falls in the hands of drug traffickers, terrorists and other anti-social elements. Drugs completely destroy an addict’s mental faculties and wreck his life.Professional colleges and other institutions are known to be the hotbeds of drug addicts The conditions are really very saddening. The increase in the number of drug users is very alarming.The people engaged in this illicit trade first create their market by luring young people and then making them dependent on drugs forever. In some countries, even big businessmen and politicians are involved in this immortal and illicit trade, because it can make them rich overnight. A kilogram of heroin, for example, sells for a crore or more rupees in the developed West! No wonder, the lure of easy money converts many people into drug smugglers.The harmful effects of drug addiction cannot be overemphasized. Drugs seem to provide a “kick” or momentary pleasure at first, but subsequently, they lead to the formation of habit. The victim becomes dependent on the poisonous drugs. He ruins his health, money, and his life. When an addict cannot get his daily dose of the dope, he feels aches in the body, listlessness of nerves, nausea, and convulsions. This process goes on for some time until he becomes a physical wreck. As every country depends on the strength and well-being of its young people, drug addiction plays havoc with the future of a country.Society, on the whole, has to pay a heavy price for the addiction of its members. Not only does it lose much money and the health of the members but it also loses its youth and vigor. Some young men are trapped by foreign spies through the lure of the easy availability of drugs. Dependent on drugs as some of the people are, they will even sell their country to foreign agents for the sake of their regular supply.There is, therefore, an urgent need to put an end to the widespread menace of drug addiction. Undoubtedly, there exist laws against drug trafficking in every country. But either these laws are somewhat lenient or consist of some loopholes, with the result that drug traffickers manage to have their way because of the money at their disposal. The need of the hour is to make these laws really stringent and enforce them vigriousaleySimultaneously, every sincere effort should be made to reclaim the people who have, for one reason or another, fallen prey to drug addiction. Instead of treating them as outcasts or morally inferior people, we should think of them as our own kith and kin who must be brought back to normal life. They should be given proper medical treatment and rehabilitated socially and emotionally.
In case of drug abuse, there should not be any need to feel ashamed and helplessness is not a way to deal with this deadly social crime. Delaying the treatment worsens the case. That is why, once the drug abuse in the youth is confirmed, it is better to take prompt steps and receive help from self-help groups and therapists.
In other words, we must do our best to remove the causes which lure young people to life-destroying drugs. Only then can this menace be minimized, if not totally eliminated.The addiction of drugs has become one of the serious social problems in many developing as well as developed countries and it undeniably proves to be the principal obstruction in the all-round development of the people, society, country and the world at a large. Our country is a progressing country and it is already afflicted with so many other grave problems, such as unemployment, poverty and illiteracy that the problem of drug abuse makes the situation even worse here as it further makes our economy regressive by destroying the lives of its youth.Even sadder is the fact that several drug addicts cannot afford to make a purchase of expensive drugs so much so that in the end they have to resort to such activities as theft in their homes. These people are not born thieves, but their addiction to drugs makes them heinous and propels them to commit crimes in order to feed their body with drugs Drug abuse is considered one of the banes of our so called civilized society. It has affected all the sections and regions of our society. People with the illicit use of drug are found everywhere, i.e. in urban and rural regions, among men and women, among rich and poor. But it is exceedingly practiced by our young girls and boys living in hostels in nearly all technical and educational institutions. Addiction is an involuntary process. It may not be fair to associate a person’s addictive behavior with his moral standards or character. The brain response to an addict changes in such a way that he continues to live with the bad habits and addictions in spite of understanding its dangerous implications. Apart from therapy and medicines, the person requires a lot of love, affection, support, and motivation to get over with the addiction. Our young ones are the future of our society. Watching them fall into this dark pit of drug addiction is the last thing that we need. With the help of open communication, observation, and positive mindset, we as adults can prevent such cases. Nonetheless, in case of drug abuse, there should not be any need to feel ashamed and helplessness is not a way to deal with this deadly social crime. Delaying the treatment worsens the case. That is why, once the drug abuse in the youth is confirmed, it is better to take prompt steps and receive help from self-help groups and therapists.
(The author a student of B.Sc Nursing at Deashbhaght University Mandigobindgard Punjab has mailed this article to “Kashmir Horizon” for publication in this newspaper. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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