It was on Mother’s day this year a young woman prayed earnestly to God to change her husband’s behaviour. She told God that her husband is drinking too much and there is no peace in the family and quarrel has become the show of every night. While another mother pleaded with tears to God to transform her husband who does not take responsibility of a father and he is into drugs. A child wishing her father a happy father’s day asked him not to drink and quarrel anymore with mum and us. These are just examples of women who shed tears with utter despair and helplessness. We do come across many young as well as old who are constantly abusing alcohol or drugs without any consideration towards life and health. On this day of International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking it is time to ponder on the lives we lead and future of our generations.
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary – General addressing the assembly on the commemoration of international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking said, “Drug trafficking, once viewed largely as a social and criminal problem, has transformed in recent years into a major threat to the health and security of people and regions.” He also mentioned that this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is an opportunity to highlight the importance of addressing these twin threats through the rule of law and the provision of health services. Our commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This Convention and the other major international drug control treaties do more than help us in the fight against drug trafficking; they protect vulnerable people through a wide range of activities to which States parties commit themselves, including education and prevention, treatment of drug dependence, care and rehabilitation for drug users, and social support. These measures are critical, because drug use, at its core, is a health issue. Drug dependence is a disease, not a crime. The real criminals are the drug traffickers.
The Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon highlighted on the need of the Govt’s involvement in the curbing of this problem working along with the communities across the world. 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. Businesses can help provide legitimate livelihoods. The media can raise awareness about the dangers of narcotics.
We can succeed if we reinforce our commitment to the basic principles of health and human rights, shared responsibility, a balanced approach to reducing supply and demand, and universal access to prevention, treatment and support. This will foster communities free of drug-related crime and violence, individuals free of drug dependence who can contribute to our common future and a safer world for all.” The need of the hour is to accept the fact and to undergo treatment is emphasised here. There are many treatment centres in Nagaland and one can avail the opportunity to give up addiction and addictive habits. The families should not shun from the reality of addiction and come forward to help the individuals who need help and treatment.
Another source indicates that India too is caught in this vicious circle of drug abuse, and the numbers of drug addicts are increasing day by day. According to a UN report, One million heroin addicts are registered in India, and unofficially there are as many as five million. What started off as casual use among a minuscule population of high-income group youth in the metro has permeated to all sections of our society that ruins not only individuals but the society as a whole. Inhalation of heroin alone has given way to intravenous drug use, that too in combination with other sedatives and painkillers. This has increased the intensity of the effect, hastened the process of addiction and complicated the process of recovery. Cannabis, heroin, and Indian-produced pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in India. Cannabis products, often called charas, bhang, or ganja, are abused throughout the country because it has attained some amount of religious sanctity because of its association with some Hindu deities. The pharmaceutical products containing narcotic drugs are also increasingly being abused. The intravenous injections of analgesics like dextropropoxphene etc are also reported from many states, as it is easily available at 1/10th the cost of heroin. The codeine-based cough syrups continue to be diverted from the domestic market for abuse. These usages differ from place to place according to the availability of the substances. Nagaland being close to the vicinity of the Golden Triangle has more chances of getting drugs easily.
To understand the issue of drug abuse one really needs to understand and study the correlations involved in it. Drug abuse is a complex phenomenon, which has various social, cultural, biological, geographical, historical and economic aspects. 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 use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict's immediate environment. The processes of industrialization, urbanization and migration have led to loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life. The fast changing social milieu, among other factors, is mainly contributing to the proliferation of drug abuse, both of traditional and of new psychoactive substances. The introduction of synthetic drugs and intravenous drug use leading to HIV/AIDS has added a new dimension to the problem, especially in the Northeast states of the country. We are faced with hard realities that hurt us but the facts remain true. Family life and social fabric is getting disintegrated day after day.
It is a fact that almost every day the news papers report of events and accidents due to substance abuse. As one researcher writes “Drug abuse has led to a detrimental impact on the society. It has led to increase in the crime rate. Addicts resort to crime to pay for their drugs. Drugs remove inhibition and impair judgment egging one on to commit offences. Incidence of eve- teasing, group clashes, assault and impulsive murders increase with drug abuse. Apart from affecting the financial stability, addiction increases conflicts and causes untold emotional pain for every member of the family. With most drug users being in the productive age group of 18-35 years, the loss in terms of human potential is incalculable. The damage to the physical, psychological, moral and intellectual growth of the youth is very high. Adolescent drug abuse is one of the major areas of concern in adolescent and young people's behavior. It is estimated that, in India, by the time most boys reach the ninth grade, about 50 percent of them have tried at least one of the gateway drugs. Increase in incidences of HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis due to addiction adds the reservoir of infection in the community burdening the health care system further. Women in India face greater problems from drug abuse. The consequences include domestic violence and infection with HIV, as well as the financial burden. Most of the domestic violence is directed against women and occurs in the context of demands for money to buy drugs.
The above mentioned paragraphs are indicators of our state too. The epidemic of substance abuse in young generation has assumed alarming dimensions in India and in particular the Northeast of India. Changing val ues, increasing economic stress and dwindling supportive bonds are leading to Drug use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict’s immediate environment. The processes of industrialization, urbanization and migration have led to loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering, an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life. More and more young people come to the cities in search quality and higher education that are becoming easy targets of these abuses. The international day provide a unique opportunity for all of us to take a stand and support the world drug campaign.
The spread and entrenchment of drug abuse needs to be prevented, as the cost to the people, environment and economy will be colossal. The unseemly spectacle of unkempt drug abusers dotting lanes and by lanes, cinema halls and other public places should be enough to goad the authorities to act fast to remove the scourge of this social evil. Moreover, the spread of such reprehensible habits among the relatively young segment of society ought to be arrested at all cost. There is a need for the government enforcement agencies, the non-governmental philanthropic agencies, and others to collaborate and supplement each other's efforts for a solution to the problem of drug addiction through education and legal actions.
The responsibility of building a new and renewed society solely depends on each of us who care for the growth and development of our state. Youth who are searching for meaning to their lives are finding it more and harder to cope with the pressures of life and succumb to addiction. We all need to join our hands together to fight against the menace of substance abuse. Our young people look for role models from their parents and elders and our women are hoping that they would get a husband who is not a drunkard or drug addict, while our mothers are praying to God that their children be free of addiction. The survivors say that it is possible to give up addiction, seek treatment and help for a drug free society. If you want to change the world, be the change that you want to be.
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary – General addressing the assembly on the commemoration of international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking said, “Drug trafficking, once viewed largely as a social and criminal problem, has transformed in recent years into a major threat to the health and security of people and regions.” He also mentioned that this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is an opportunity to highlight the importance of addressing these twin threats through the rule of law and the provision of health services. Our commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This Convention and the other major international drug control treaties do more than help us in the fight against drug trafficking; they protect vulnerable people through a wide range of activities to which States parties commit themselves, including education and prevention, treatment of drug dependence, care and rehabilitation for drug users, and social support. These measures are critical, because drug use, at its core, is a health issue. Drug dependence is a disease, not a crime. The real criminals are the drug traffickers.
The Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon highlighted on the need of the Govt’s involvement in the curbing of this problem working along with the communities across the world. 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. Businesses can help provide legitimate livelihoods. The media can raise awareness about the dangers of narcotics.
We can succeed if we reinforce our commitment to the basic principles of health and human rights, shared responsibility, a balanced approach to reducing supply and demand, and universal access to prevention, treatment and support. This will foster communities free of drug-related crime and violence, individuals free of drug dependence who can contribute to our common future and a safer world for all.” The need of the hour is to accept the fact and to undergo treatment is emphasised here. There are many treatment centres in Nagaland and one can avail the opportunity to give up addiction and addictive habits. The families should not shun from the reality of addiction and come forward to help the individuals who need help and treatment.
Another source indicates that India too is caught in this vicious circle of drug abuse, and the numbers of drug addicts are increasing day by day. According to a UN report, One million heroin addicts are registered in India, and unofficially there are as many as five million. What started off as casual use among a minuscule population of high-income group youth in the metro has permeated to all sections of our society that ruins not only individuals but the society as a whole. Inhalation of heroin alone has given way to intravenous drug use, that too in combination with other sedatives and painkillers. This has increased the intensity of the effect, hastened the process of addiction and complicated the process of recovery. Cannabis, heroin, and Indian-produced pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in India. Cannabis products, often called charas, bhang, or ganja, are abused throughout the country because it has attained some amount of religious sanctity because of its association with some Hindu deities. The pharmaceutical products containing narcotic drugs are also increasingly being abused. The intravenous injections of analgesics like dextropropoxphene etc are also reported from many states, as it is easily available at 1/10th the cost of heroin. The codeine-based cough syrups continue to be diverted from the domestic market for abuse. These usages differ from place to place according to the availability of the substances. Nagaland being close to the vicinity of the Golden Triangle has more chances of getting drugs easily.
To understand the issue of drug abuse one really needs to understand and study the correlations involved in it. Drug abuse is a complex phenomenon, which has various social, cultural, biological, geographical, historical and economic aspects. 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 use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict's immediate environment. The processes of industrialization, urbanization and migration have led to loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life. The fast changing social milieu, among other factors, is mainly contributing to the proliferation of drug abuse, both of traditional and of new psychoactive substances. The introduction of synthetic drugs and intravenous drug use leading to HIV/AIDS has added a new dimension to the problem, especially in the Northeast states of the country. We are faced with hard realities that hurt us but the facts remain true. Family life and social fabric is getting disintegrated day after day.
It is a fact that almost every day the news papers report of events and accidents due to substance abuse. As one researcher writes “Drug abuse has led to a detrimental impact on the society. It has led to increase in the crime rate. Addicts resort to crime to pay for their drugs. Drugs remove inhibition and impair judgment egging one on to commit offences. Incidence of eve- teasing, group clashes, assault and impulsive murders increase with drug abuse. Apart from affecting the financial stability, addiction increases conflicts and causes untold emotional pain for every member of the family. With most drug users being in the productive age group of 18-35 years, the loss in terms of human potential is incalculable. The damage to the physical, psychological, moral and intellectual growth of the youth is very high. Adolescent drug abuse is one of the major areas of concern in adolescent and young people's behavior. It is estimated that, in India, by the time most boys reach the ninth grade, about 50 percent of them have tried at least one of the gateway drugs. Increase in incidences of HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis due to addiction adds the reservoir of infection in the community burdening the health care system further. Women in India face greater problems from drug abuse. The consequences include domestic violence and infection with HIV, as well as the financial burden. Most of the domestic violence is directed against women and occurs in the context of demands for money to buy drugs.
The above mentioned paragraphs are indicators of our state too. The epidemic of substance abuse in young generation has assumed alarming dimensions in India and in particular the Northeast of India. Changing val ues, increasing economic stress and dwindling supportive bonds are leading to Drug use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict’s immediate environment. The processes of industrialization, urbanization and migration have led to loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering, an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life. More and more young people come to the cities in search quality and higher education that are becoming easy targets of these abuses. The international day provide a unique opportunity for all of us to take a stand and support the world drug campaign.
The spread and entrenchment of drug abuse needs to be prevented, as the cost to the people, environment and economy will be colossal. The unseemly spectacle of unkempt drug abusers dotting lanes and by lanes, cinema halls and other public places should be enough to goad the authorities to act fast to remove the scourge of this social evil. Moreover, the spread of such reprehensible habits among the relatively young segment of society ought to be arrested at all cost. There is a need for the government enforcement agencies, the non-governmental philanthropic agencies, and others to collaborate and supplement each other's efforts for a solution to the problem of drug addiction through education and legal actions.
The responsibility of building a new and renewed society solely depends on each of us who care for the growth and development of our state. Youth who are searching for meaning to their lives are finding it more and harder to cope with the pressures of life and succumb to addiction. We all need to join our hands together to fight against the menace of substance abuse. Our young people look for role models from their parents and elders and our women are hoping that they would get a husband who is not a drunkard or drug addict, while our mothers are praying to God that their children be free of addiction. The survivors say that it is possible to give up addiction, seek treatment and help for a drug free society. If you want to change the world, be the change that you want to be.
Fr. Joe Mariadhas, Director
Shalom Rehabilitation Centre, Chumukedima – 797 103, Nagaland
