Drug Problem in Punjab

 

Drug Problem in Punjab

Hello Friends!

Hope you all are good and liking my previous posts. Today we will analyze Drug Problem in Punjab. Why has Punjab fallen into the grip of Drug abuse? Drug epidemic is sweeping the state. India’s most prosperous state is in danger of losing an entire generation to drug abuse. Thousands of youngsters have already died of Drugs so far. We all know that “Drug addiction is a sickness but it’s also a crime”. Drug addiction is a family disease, one person may use but the whole family suffers. Let’s analyze why drug problem is there in Punjab and why does a youth of Punjab become a drug addict?

Drug:

Drug is any chemical compound either synthesized in laboratory of plant, animal or marine origin which brings change in normal physiological functions of body. All medicines are drugs but all drugs are not medicines. Drug is considered as narcotic, a stimulant or hallucinogen.

 

Drug Addiction:

 

Drug Addiction is a complex neurobiological disease that requires integrated treatment of mind, body and spirit. It is a brain disease because drugs change the brain. Drug addiction is chronic and if left untreated, it can be fatal.

 

How the business of Drugs works in Punjab?

1. Drug problem in Punjab is not restricted to specific demographic of unemployed youth. It is increasing across divides such as class, gender, age and geography.

2. Business and economy in the state kept sliding, the drugs trade flourished.

3. ‘Chitta’ became a drug business in Punjab.

4. The business of drugs sprawls from poppy fields of Afghanistan to farms of rural Punjab and Urban areas like Ludhiana, Chandigarh.

5. For Taliban in Afghanistan drug is a big source of money.

6. According to United Nations office on Drugs and Crime the total area under poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has increased to 63%.

7. Pakistan border is main gateway for Drugs in Punjab.

8. Many cheap drugs are manufactured locally, many pharmaceutical factories are in grip of drug manufacturing.

9. Meandering rivers and streams along Indo-Pakistan border are major routes for Drug smuggling because these are not easy to track.

10. Some innovative ways like drugs in plastic pipes are also smuggled.

11. Small packets of ‘Chitta’ are sold to customers by local peddlers when reaches in border villages of Punjab. Biggest chunk is in Amritsar and Ludhiana belt.

12. These drugs are also transported by migrant labourers, poor farmers and drug addicts.

 

Who is in grip of Drug Addiction?

1. Unemployed and Stressed youth.

2. Poor indebted farmers.

3. Businessman.

4. Rich Youth.

5. Teenagers.

 

Causes of Drug Problem in Punjab:

1. Historical and Cultural factors: Opium was part of cultural landscape before partition and ramped up after Green Revolution. Cross border flow of drugs during 1990’s. Many historical factors like Partition, Terrorism and Migration etc.

2. Medical causes: Unregulated Private facilities are using unapproved methods to harm patients. Lack of drug de-addiction centers, lack of counselors and psychologists.

3. Political Factors: According to data out of 185,000 kg of drugs seized by election commission in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, 75% belonged to State of Punjab.

4. Lack of economic opportunities.

5. Easy access to Drugs.

6. Lack of Law and Order: Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act 1985 does not help due to lack of law and order.

 

Impact of Drugs on Health:

1. Improper growth and development of body.

2. Cardiovascular disease like heart attack and cardiac arrest.

(Also Read: HeartAttack or Cardiac Arrest: What’s the Difference!)

3. Kidney failure.

4. Anxiety.

5. Loss of memory.

6. Delayed puberty in girls.

7. High level of liver enzyme leads to liver damage.

8. Lower bone mineral density.

 

Consequences of Drug problem in Punjab:

1. Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey 2015 has found that 230,000 people were drug users in State.

2. Economic stagnation due to lack of manpower among youth.

3. Unemployment is on rise.

4. Stagnation in agriculture.

5. Suicides are on rise. Drug addiction is made up 2.8% of all Suicides in India in 2014 but in case of Punjab Suicide rate is 4% due to drug abuse.

6. Increasing pressure on Health infrastructure.

7. Impact on reproductive system of girls. It results in loss of fertility.

8. Poverty is increasing due to lack of investment in agriculture.

9. Many deaths are due to Heart attack in case of 30s or 40s age group.

(Also Read: Heart Attack is more among Men as Compared to Women: Why!)

10. Domestic violence on women as well as parental abuse.

11. Cases of Robbery are on rise due to Drug Problem in Punjab.

12. Divorce rate is increasing due to child bearing problems.

13. Old age homes are increasing because there is no one to look after parents.

14. Alienation and Isolation is increasing among youth.

15. AIDs and HIV cases due to lack of sterilized needles.

16. Overuse of phones or social media is also playing major role in drug problem.

17. Use of weapons is on rise.

 

Government Measures:

1. Anti-Drug campaign by government under guidance of Joint Action Committee. The campaign will be held in Tehsils, Blocks, Municipalities and Panchayat Level.

2. Drug Abuse Prevention Officers Program.

3. More Rehabilitation Centers have been setup by government.

4. Government is motivating and counseling youngsters to stay away from drugs. Over 65.5% of adolescents in Punjab were found under drug abuse. 41.8% are taking alcohol and 21.3% are consuming tobacco.

5. Government has provided financial support to increase number of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in Punjab.

6. Special Task Force has been implementing a Three Pronged Strategy of Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention (EDP) to combat drug menace.

7. Buddy Project has been implemented to aware students about ill effects of Drugs.

8. 1500 cluster coordinators and 15000 Nasha Roku Nigam Committees are being trained through 523 master trainers.

9. National Drug Policy 2018 to save young generation.

10. A separate Drug Division is being set up in Department of Health for efficient Drug administration and better monitoring of De-addiction centers.

 

My Opinion (Suggestions):

1. Government should follow an intrinsic approach.

2. Government should focus on both demand and supply side of Drugs.

3. Increase number of Affordable Rehabilitation Centers.

4. Redressal of Unemployment situation. Motivate youth to engage in agriculture and government should provide proper Minimum Support Price (MSP) so that youth can get attracted towards agriculture as Punjab is an agrarian economy.

5. Self Help Groups should go door to door to raise awareness among youth regarding drugs. Awareness camps should be organized at village level.

6. Zero tolerance Policy towards drug peddlers.

7. Government should check illicit opiate pharmaceutical drugs.

8. Inculcate ethical values in children by doing discussion on these topics in family. With the help of discussion in family we can easily handle this problem.  By chance if he/she becomes drug addict then do not feel shy to go to drug de-addiction centers.

9. With the use cognitive behavioral therapy we can save youth from drug problem.

10. Every village member should take initiatives to protect village youth from drug abuse.

At last we can say that Punjab is a land of five rivers, great revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Land of Gurus so we should save Punjab from Drug menace. Culture of Punjab cannot be finding anywhere in world due to its simplicity and uniqueness. Each individual should think measures and work as a social activist to save Land of Punjab.     

“Individually we are one drop. Together we are an Ocean”- Ryunosuke Satoro

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