Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
26th June is observed as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking), often referred to as the International Day against Drug Abuse. It is to strengthen global action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. Observance of this day aims to raise awareness to fight against the substance abuse as well as the unlawful trade of drugs. Drugs are initially taken out of choice, but it becomes hard to resist them sooner than you realize. It is difficult to recover from this problem and even those who are at high risk of developing it again.
It is a fact that drug racket operates internationally, but some countries are transshipment points for drug circulation. India possibly because of its strategic location is more prone to drug activities including drug trafficking and local consumption. The influence of westernization, changing family structure and peer pressure are some of the reasons behind drug abuse.
Our society should change its attitude. He should be provided with all the support and care. He should be properly rehabilitated. Moral education should be made a part of our curriculum. Society should be made aware from the early stage. n order to tame and trample the monster of drug abuse, we must go back to the root of the problem and make the user of drugs more human, tolerant, understanding, appreciative, sympathetic and helpful. Social workers, teachers, and above all parents, especially mothers can play a vital role in this direction. Many counselling and de-addiction centres have contributed greatly to create a national awakening. More such efforts are required from all walks of society.
Drugs are primarily chemicals that affect the communication system of the human brain. They disturb the ways in which nerve cells send, process and receive information. There are a couple of ways in which drugs achieve this – they copy the natural chemical messengers of the human brain and they overstimulate the brain’s reward circuit. Drugs such as heroin and marijuana are structured in the same way as chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. The Drug addiction can develop at any age but those who begin taking drugs at an early age have the highest risk of getting addicted. This is because the areas of the brain that are responsible for self-control, judgment and decision making are still in development stage. This is the reason why teenagers are more prone to drug abuse. Governments have a responsibility to counteract both drug trafficking and drug abuse, but communities can also make a major contribution. Families, schools, civil society and religious organizations can do their part to rid their communities of drugs.
According to National Survey, hardly a third of drug dependents reported having taken treatment. In the findings of other agency it was found as low as two per cent. It is largely because people do not see drug abuse as a medical problem. Besides, lack of rehabilitation and access to treatment facilities are various other causes for not seeking treatment. The disintegration of the old joint family system, absence of parental love and care in modern families where both parents are working, decline of old religious and moral values etc lead to a rise in the number of drug addicts who take drugs to escape hard realities of life.
Drug trafficking is one of the major crime. Killing someone or helping someone to kill himself is equal to a crime. This is what common sense and human sense says. The ones who are trafficking and helping such drugs reach each and every corner of the country are committing a big crime. Drugs and drug dealing is a scourge that can bring down a mature and intelligent society to intolerable levels of depravity. It is better to nip this crime in bud so that our country doesn’t follow the horrible western malady. Creating awareness of dangers of the substance abuse in society and effecting behavioural change are integral parts of the National Drug Master Plan. There should be no leniency when talking about peddlers and pushers who destroy the victim and his kith and kin and put the victim into unalterable habit which will make the individual take to all crimes including murder and rape. If we need to stop this menace from spreading we need harsh steps and stringent punishments. Only love and affection can help the youth from falling into clutches of drugs. Societal control is a necessary along with legal skeleton. Let us develop our Lives, our Communities, and our Identities…Without Drugs.”
(The author is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected])
