Rawalpindi
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there are 6.7 million drug users in Pakistan. More than 4 million of these are addicts, which is amongst the highest number for any country in the world. Abuse of cannabis and heroin is rife in the country and the drugs are extremely cheap and easy to get. 700 people die of drug abuse and use every day in Pakistan. This is a death toll higher than the fatalities caused by terrorism or cancer.
Drug abuse in schools is an epidemic that transcends borders and it could be anyone’s child who succumbs to peer pressure, or decides to indulge, just for the sake of the experience. According to a survey conducted by an NGO, 43 to 53pc of students at elite schools -- where students from privileged backgrounds are studying -- were addicts and are using heroin, hashish, opium and ecstasy pills. A number of NGO’s are working to bring awareness of its dangerous consequences and the taboo that used to exist about keeping drug use a secret, especially by parents, is slowly eroding thanks to the campaign launched by them to acknowledge that a problem exists.
But it is the common man -- or woman -- on the street who is the most vulnerable and falls victim easily, both to pushers and unscrupulous elements out to make a fast buck. A number of reasons contribute to this quick downfall; no work or work that is physically hard; frustration with life and its hardships; a brief feeling of euphoria that makes them thing life is hunky dory or just plain curiosity because there is nothing else to do.
The men in the picture are oblivious of the photographer who is capturing the image of them getting ready to inject themselves with some substance -- there are so many different kinds available these days it is difficult to keep track. Scenes like this can be seen in every crowded locality as the users, usually dirty, dishevelled and marginalized persons do it quite openly and no one bothers to check them or discourage them for fear of reprisal -- or they don’t care.
According to reports, drug users are sometimes hauled off to government ‘rehabilitation centres’ but most of them are not equipped to cure these addicts, especially in smaller towns and cities. They are chained like prisoners and taken off drugs suddenly, which is bad for their mental and physical health. Thankfully, awareness that drug abuse is like any other disease and needs to be treated with care has now made those who work in this field more conscious of the problems both victims and workers face and things are getting better.
While the agencies involved in drug control are doing their job as best they can, the problem in Pakistan is still huge and more effort should be made, especially by the government, to keep it in check. Experts also suggest that Pemra must give space to public service ads on TV on the issue, while teachers too, can be role models.