Drugs Addiction & the Youth

By Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

Drugs addiction is harmful not only for the addicted but also has
negative impact on the fabric of the society. The effects of such an
addiction can cause dangerous changes in the mind, body and spirit of
the drug addict. The most disturbing aspect of drug addiction is that it
is reaching epidemic proportions in the whole world. People in our part
of the world are increasingly becoming addicted to all kinds of drugs
including street drugs and prescription drugs etc.

Street drugs include cocaine, heroin and crack, marijuana and meth,
while prescription drugs include those such as Valium, OxyContin,
Percocet and Ritalin etc. The price of drugs can be very heavy. Simple
ill-effects of such addiction include physical itchiness, coma and even
premature death. On the other hand, the psychological ill effects can
make a person become completely dependent on taking drugs in order
to survive.

Drugs addiction is a very serious problem and even if the addict is

using prescribed drugs, the ill effects can be very harmful indeed. It is,
therefore, important that the government takes administrative, legal
and policy measures that put an end to the menace of drug addiction.
The right kind of information can help the addict avoid overdosing and
it can also prevent medical-related complications.

The ill effects of addiction to drugs can be very difficult to endure,

which is why the addict must be treated for their condition at the
earliest. A lot of research is being done on how addiction to drugs
harms people and societies. An individual that takes drugs will expect
certain changes to take place in his being.

In the US, addiction to drugs is quite widespread. One study on this

problem revealed that one in every five American aged between
sixteen and fifty nine had used at least one drug. Whats more is that
about half (46 percent) of Americans, aged between 16 and 21,
admitted having used drugs in different phases of their life. Even more
worrying is the fact that approximately twenty million people, aged
above twelve years, have used illegal drugs in the US. In fact, about
1.47 percent of Americans are addicted to drugs.

North America, which includes USA and Canada and even Mexico, has
a major drugs addiction problem. The problem is no less dangerous in
Central America where countries such as Belize, Guatemala and
Nicaragua are major centres for drug abuse.

Drugs addiction in Pakistan is no less worrisome. Though its

neighbours (India, Bangladesh and Maldives as well as Nepal) all have
drugs addiction issues, Pakistan is the worst affected throughout South
Asia. It is, after all, home to the largest market for heroin consumption.
Whats more, Pakistan is also a major exporter of heroin and in fact,
approximately fifty tons of opium is illegally brought into Pakistan to
produce heroin.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and even Sri Lanka

all have major issues with use of drugs. Afghanistan, for example, has
about 28,513,677 drug addicts, while Bangladesh has 141, 340, 476
addicts. India has a staggering 1,065, 070,607 drug users, while
Pakistan has 159, 196, 336 addicts.

The worst thing about being addicted to drugs is that it is affecting the
youth in every part of the world in a major way. The trouble starts
among the school-going children but the problem is exacerbated with
abetment by those who wish to earn money out of selling drugs. The
problem among children and youth arises because of a perception that
they seem to harbour the notion of their inadequacy for failing to
measure up to their expectations of their elders. Nowadays it has
become fashionable for the actors and singers to include tales of drugs
addiction and sexual references in their music. So instead of
inculcating good values in the youth, the entertainment industry is
responsible for propagating the use of drugs, which is further fuelling
the addiction to drugs in the both the developed and developing
world.

The youth has become the target of major drug peddlers. These
peddlers sell drugs and package them as symbols of revolution and
freshness but have no regard for the consequences of their actions.
The youth that takes to drugs are more likely to commit suicide
because of the harmful effects of the drugs they are taking.
Misinformation about drugs is another reason for these deaths as the
addict or user may take the drugs in wrong doses, which can then lead
to a fatality.

Drugs addiction among the youth is killing them morally and socially as
well as psychologically and even physically. And, drug barons are
becoming increasingly wealthier by supplying these drugs that are
causing untold misery.
It is time that societies and governments took a firmer view about
preventing and stopping drugs addiction. There should be a
community plan that should be implemented to stop addiction to
drugs. This plan must identify the specific drugs that youth are using. It
should build on existing resources such as existing drug abuse
prevention programs and it should also develop short-term goals
relevant to proper implementation of research- based drug abuse
prevention programs.

In addition, the community plan must project its long term objectives
to ensure that resources are made available and in addition, the
community plan must also incorporate ongoing assessments to
evaluate the effectiveness of their preventive measures and
strategies.

In fact, all preventive measures need to address different forms of drug

abuse and addiction and should also target different types of drug
abuse and addictions. It should also be tailored to address risks that
are specific to certain populations or audience characteristics. It must
be aimed at specific populations and at major transition points such as
at middle-school level.

Unless serious measures are taken now, the very future of a large
chunk of todays youth will be severely compromised. The problem of
drug addiction is too real and serious to be ignored. The governments
need to involve communities and media in highlighting the perils
associated with the drug addiction. Media has a responsibility to
highlight such issues with a view to educating people and building a
consensus among them to forge a united stand against such scourges.
The perpetrators of doom and gloom are well entrenched in the power
structures and have formed transnational partnerships for their
nefarious purposes. The response to deal with such an organized
menace should also be concerted for effective output. It calls for
sustained engagement and coordinated action among countries.
Individual efforts cannot produce desired results. For long have we
have turned a blind eye to such critical issues. It is now time to be
responsible in our actions.

(The writer is Australia-based PhD scholar)