Drug Abuse in Pakistan

Essay on drug abuse in Pakistan

1. INTRODUCTION:
Since the commencement of life, it has been the desire of man to enjoy peace and avoid what is tumultuous and tedious in order to get peace of mind and tranquility. There are legal means for this but the hazard of ignorance leads a frustrated soul to adopt what is injurious to self-health first, and then, pestilence to the whole society.
Drug abuse is a worldwide phenomenon. It is wide spread in our society and has affected Pakistan in many ways. It contributes to crime, adds to the cost of our already over burdened health care system and to the financially strapped social welfare system. It is also a serious threat to one’s health and also causes violence and mass crime in a society. High profitability of opium crop combined with low risk of cultivation is the major factor for its growth. There is a very astonishing fact that the drug trade is second to the trade after armament in the world and yet the UN budget for drug control activities is equivalent to the value of a suitcase full of heroin.
2. SITUATION IN PAKISTAN:
According to the National Assessment Study on Drug Abuse in Pakistan 2000, there were about 500,000 chronic heroine users including 60,000 drug injectors in the age bracket of 25-35 years, which is an alarming high rate by international standards. In order to update data regarding drug addicts, a new project called National Assessment Study 2006 of problems of Drug Abuse in Pakistan is in pipeline and will be completed shortly. For the prevention of the Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse, effective and meaning full steps have been initiated.
It is a matter of great concern that Pakistan should be witnessing a resurgence of poppy cultivation in areas bordering Afghanistan which is expected to produce a bumper crop this year. Government officials often try to convince the people that the acreage under cultivation is on the decrease, as Minister for Narcotics Control Ghous Bux Mehar did the other...