Drugs And Sikhs

[Artmental]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0628/1224273468015.html

Punjab teeters on edge of crisis as 70% fall into drug addiction

LETTER FROM PUNJAB: Drugs are seen by many as a bigger threat here than the Sikh insurgency, during which more than 60,000 people died, writes RAHUL BEDI

AFTER YEARS of alternating between ingesting opium and heroin, Joginder Singh (25), from Ferozepur district in India’s northern Punjab province, is an emaciated wreck.

All this once athletic and handsome young Sikh waits for is his next fix as he stares sightlessly across his diminishing ancestral land holdings in Fattuwala village – a large proportion of them periodically disposed of to feed his habit.

In occasional lucid moments the 25-year old vows to kick his debilitating habit, but within hours is back on the drugs.

Efforts to engage him in conversation are ...................READ MORE

PUNJAB AND AIDS

http://sify.com/news/punjab-drug-abuse-figures-in-un-panel-debate-news-health-kgywkeichhj.html

[kuthaman]

http://www.irishtime...4273468015.html

Punjab teeters on edge of crisis as 70% fall into drug addiction

LETTER FROM PUNJAB: Drugs are seen by many as a bigger threat here than the Sikh insurgency, during which more than 60,000 people died, writes RAHUL BEDI

AFTER YEARS of alternating between ingesting opium and heroin, Joginder Singh (25), from Ferozepur district in India’s northern Punjab province, is an emaciated wreck.

All this once athletic and handsome young Sikh waits for is his next fix as he stares sightlessly across his diminishing ancestral land holdings in Fattuwala village – a large proportion of them periodically disposed of to feed his habit.

In occasional lucid moments the 25-year old vows to kick his debilitating habit, but within hours is back on the drugs.

Efforts to engage him in conversation are ...................READ MORE

PUNJAB AND AIDS

http://sify.com/news...gywkeichhj.html

Its sad we must create programs to go and help these people. Its a clear and open invitation to Christian Missionaries.

[S1ngh]

With the funds raised by SikhSangat members for our non-profit organization SikhGiving, we did the 3 month research on this issue back in punjab in 2006.. Below is the brief report...

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Drugs in Punjab: 80% of Punjabi youth takes drugs. The drug problem came to notice only few years ago. The spark was present since past many years, but the fire spread only two or three years ago and it is destroying many houses in Punjab. According to our survey, 78% people say that users make their first contact with drugs through friends. The most popular Nashay among students are:

Alcohol – reported by 38%

Smack – reported by 37%

Cigarettes – reported by 25%

As you see in the above survey result, smack (powder form of heroin) is trying to take number 1 spot among the Punjabi youth. Drugs are easily available to anyone in Punjab. Parents never accept the truth regarding their kids' addiction to drugs. They think that they will loose their social respect in society and will do everything to hide the true facts.

Drug Factors promoting Drug Abuse

Peer influence

Myths related to sexual potency,

Thrill-seeking,

Curiosity about drugs,

Unemployment,

Punitive attitude of others and

Lack of support during periods of stress

The way Rehab Clinics works in Punjab

There is a shortage of dedicated Rehab clinics in Amritsar district. During our three months work, we found three major Drug De-Addiction centers. Here are few details about them:

1) Navjeevan Rehab Clinic - Situated at the back side of Guru Nanak Dev University on Ram Tirath Road. A village house converted into rehab-center runs the de-addiction program for 6 months and they charge approx. Rs 4500/month/patient. They have counselor visiting the rehab clinic from Delhi for 3 days a week. In less then 3000 sq feet two storey building, they house more than 50 addicts and never allow visitors to see the patients. They have big dogs, guards to prevent their patients from running away. They have pretty strict rules for the addicts who fail to comply to their system. (location – Rural Area)

2) Cheharta Nasha Shudao Kendar – This rehab clinic gives medicine to the addicts and runs program for only 5 days (Monday to Friday) and they release all addicts by the end of the week. Though started by Akaal Purakh Ki Fauj with support of SGPC and situated right next to Cheharta Gurdwara Sahib, they charge Rs 3500 per patient for only 5 days. (location – Rural Area)

3) On RajaSansi Road – You can spot another De-addiction center on the road leading to Amritsar's "Raja Sansi International Airport". They run the center for only 4 days (Monday to Thursday) and charge Rs 6500 per patient. They told us that they do some Chip Implant method on addicts. We never heard about this chip method and we will do research on the positive and negative effects of this method.

Drug De-addiction/Rehab clinics in Punjab are not being open to help the addicts but another way to do business. We couldn't find any clinic which offers good long term plan for the addicts and works according to the Gurmat priniciples. We found Navjeevan Rehab center as the most effective clinic which offers counseling and raising the self-esteem of the addicts. But there are few down points according to Sikh rehat; They shave off everything on addicts face (including Eyebrows) as the punishment to those who try to run away from the clinic.

Drug problem in Punjab can be controlled only if we run the de-addiction centre according to sikhi rehat, including maintaining the Strict Amrit Vela program. Sikhi lifestyle can give these addicts a new life, making them feel that drugs are BIG NO in their religion. We need to lift the spirits of the addicts and boost their self esteem by giving them good counseling and gurmat education.

Conclusion of our Project II : Drug problem in Punjab is huge. 66% of 6th to 7th graders are using Jarda (Tobacco widely used by Bhaias). The drug problem in Punjab can be controlled easily if we keep tab on Chemist shops in Villages and run a low cost successful rehab clinic in Punjab on the basis of counseling and raising self esteem.

Common Drugs in Punjab and their prices (both Legal and Illegal Drugs)

Most of the following ways are used by the youth of villages. Chemist shops in almost every village in Punjab sell capsules without any prescription to anyone to raise their sale. Youth misuse the medicines to get high. City youth are famous in using Smack and other high profile (expensive) drugs. Common drugs in effect are Alcohol, smack, tobacco, opium, charas, ganja, mandrax, heroin, cough syrups, sleeping pills and other prescription drugs selling without prescriptions in Punjab. The recipe of the witches' brew has many more items. The drugs are easily obtainable, even kids can buy them if they have the money. One could buy these drugs at the numerous liquor vends, chemist shops, small stalls selling cigarettes and pan among other drugs and even the grocery shops in the villages.

Drug Name & their Price

1 Corex Rs 53 per bottle

2 Nitrazepam (10mg) Rs 10 per tablet

3 Proxyvon Rs 25 per 8 capsules

4 Spasmo Proxyvon Rs 25 per 10 capsules

5 Sudimal Rs 10 per 10 tablets

6 Microtel Rs 25 per 100 tablets

7 Lomotil Rs 5 per 10 tablets

8 Parvon Rs 25 per 10 tablets

9 White Correction Fluid Rs 25 per tube

10 Boot Polish Rs 10 per pack

11 Tobacco Packet Rs 2 per pack

12 Subimol Rs 12 per 10 tablets

13 Norphin Injection Rs 10 per injection

14 Brown Sugar (Smack) Rs 300 per gram

15 Opium Rs 300 to Rs 500 per 10 gm

16 Heroin (Smack is the powder form of heroin – only in Asia) Rs 1000 per gm

17 Cocaine Rs 1000+ per gm

18 White Sugar (Charas) Rs 1000+ per gm

19 Bhukey (Marijuana) Rs 300 to Rs 500 per kg

20 Iodex ointment Rs 20 per bottle

Some Weird ways that Punjabi youth are using to get high

Petrol – They dip a piece of cotton wool in petrol and keep it under their nose and inhale the air and they get high by doing that.

Lizard – They kill and burn the lizard and eat it to get high.

Boot Polish – They rub the boot polish onto the back of their neck and turn it towards the sun and they high feeling by doing that.

Petrol Pipes – They eat the dirt deposited on the leaking petrol pipe of vehicles and petrol pumps.

Bhang in Cigarette – They rub the Bhang leaf in oily hands until it turns into a small ball of dirt and they put that small ball into the cigarette and smoke it. This gives them more thrill/high than normal cigarettes.

Iodex – They use Iodex in place of Jam on a toast and with that taste they get high. Iodex is a pain relief balm.

Correction Fluid – A simple stationary item which is used to correct writing or typing errors on papers. They cut open it and drink the whole fluid to get high.

Profiles of Drug Users (Random Users)

Data collected from random 48 users of areas around Amritsar City (approx. 6 villages). Most of the drug users are in the age group of 20 to 30 years old. From the last three years the drug use has seen a steep rise. Everybody has one thing in common which is "Unemployment". They usually inherit a good share of land ranging from 5 Kilas up to 25 kilas or belong to rich families. All of them are heroin (Smack) users.

Liquor Problem in Punjab (Vendors)

Within the radius of 7 km's, we counted nearly 400 liquor vendors in Amritsar city. We asked one of our minor (under 13) volunteer to go and buy the liquor and see if they ask for his identity, which none of the liquor vends we tested asked for. We also heard that Amritsar city consumes more than Rs 1 crore (approx. $200,000) worth of liquor a day. One good fact is that within the wall boundary of old Amritsar, there is no Liquor stores but as soon as you come out of the walled city of Amritsar (Hall Gate, Sultanwind Gate, Lahore Gate, Sheranwala Gate etcc), you will find dozens of liquor stores.

Indian law prohibits the advertisements of liquors but you still will see the companies mending their way to get their advertising message across. You will see the HUGE posters of these liquor companies in and around Punjab. They give the advertisement of their product in the garb of items like CD rack, Golf Accessories, Water Soda and even Tourism. Please see the picture of the boards to get the proper idea of this huge problem in Punjab.

[West London Singh]

To be fair, much of this talk of "70%" of Puinjab's youth being drug addicts is a bit misleading and indicative of our Punjabi nature to exaggerate things. It uses in it's percentage marks such things as alcohol and cigarettes that no other nation would include in it's list of 'drug addicts'. Lets face it...you wouldn't be too impressed if the Daily Mail used the same criteria and had a headline tomorrow morning proclaiming "99% of the UK are officially drug addicts". Not to mention the way the Punjab lists also includes many over the counter medicines such as cough syrups.

[SikhWorldTv]

LETTER FROM PUNJAB: Drugs are seen by many as a bigger threat here than the Sikh insurgency, during which more than 60,000 people died, writes RAHUL BEDI

AFTER YEARS of alternating between ingesting opium and heroin, Joginder Singh (25), from Ferozepur district in India’s northern Punjab province, is an emaciated wreck.

All this once athletic and handsome young Sikh waits for is his next fix as he stares sightlessly across his diminishing ancestral land holdings in Fattuwala village – a large proportion of them periodically disposed of to feed his habit.

In occasional lucid moments the 25-year old vows to kick his debilitating habit, but within hours is back on the drugs.

Efforts to engage him in conversation are futile as he babbles incomprehensibly.

Fellow villagers say the debilitating narcotics had not only ruined Singh but also “estranged” him from his surroundings.

“He does not know night from day. He’s like the walking dead,” Fattuwala resident Rajbir Kaur says.

In the nearby border district of Gurdaspur, Tarseem Singh (23), frequently gulps fistfuls of prescription opiates, painkillers and amphetamines to satiate his addiction.

To sustain his dependency, like tens of thousands of similar addicts across Punjab, he often resorts to petty crime like thieving, but so far has managed to avoid being apprehended. He is under close police watch.

Police and drug enforcement officials in Punjab’s capital Chandigarh say that, unlike Tarseem, many youngsters across the province similarly hooked on drugs graduated to undertaking contract killings for small sums that paid for their next fix.

There has also been the widespread belief in this chauvinistic state that opium increases sexual potency and that opiates help people to work tirelessly – obviously useful at harvest time in this primarily agricultural state.

“Punjab is teetering on the edge of an extraordinary human crisis, with an inordinately large number of youngsters hooked on to marijuana, opium and heroin, in addition to imbibing a range of prescriptive tablets,” says Raj Pal Meena, head of the state’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).

The threat of drugs, he adds, is worse than two decades of Sikh terrorism that ravaged the province until the early 1990s, during which more than 60,000 people died, as it is far more insidious and cannot be rectified by policing. The ANTF says all of Punjab’s 20 districts, particularly border regions, are infested with drug peddlers selling opium and heroin smuggled from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Money from drug smuggling had, for decades, financed the civil war in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s adjoining tribal regions.

ANTF officials say a large proportion of the 500kg of heroin seized in the state last year was for local consumption, and the rest was destined for western markets. They stress that the seizures represent just a small proportion of the drugs making it through and being sold profitably.

“In rural Punjab, families often try to pass off a drug overdose death either as suicide or an overdose of prescriptive medicines for chronic ailments,” Meena says. The entire state seems to be in denial over its drug addiction and is unwilling to accept its severity, he declares.

Punjab’s grievous drug problem was revealed recently in a report by Guru Nanak University in Punjab’s largest city, Amritsar, which declared that some 73.5 per cent of the state’s youth between 16 and 35 years were confirmed drug addicts.

The study said young people in villages were more prone to drug abuse, and attributed this to high unemployment, social tensions and easily available narcotics.

Shrinking land holdings and limited educational facilities exacerbated the problem by spawning a generation of disenchanted youth who felt inadequate and lacked self-esteem.

“Despite Punjab’s drug epidemic, the government has initiated no formal plan to counter it,” Punjab journalist and commentator Asit Jolly says.

The few trying to raise awareness and organise detoxification programmes were run by religious sects and a handful of non-governmental organisations.

But NGOs face funding problems, as Punjab is viewed as one of India’s most prosperous provinces – and so is seen as not meriting financial intervention as poorer states do.

Efforts to manage Punjab’s drug trade have been hampered by direct police involvement.

Last year the authorities arrested a senior Narcotics Control Board officer for running a major drug peddling operation in Punjab valued at billions of rupees. He is under prosecution, but the syndicate he was a part is reportedly still active.

During the Sikh insurgency, a nexus evolved between narcotic smugglers from Pakistan and local insurgent groups who used the proceeds to fund their “war of liberation” for an independent Sikh homeland.

And though most of the smuggling routes thereby established have since disappeared, the victims they spawned en route have since proliferated – creating a contagion that Punjab ignores at its peril.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0628/1224273468015.html

[whyhellothere]

Aww, this is really sad, I had no idea about it. Maybe Gurdwarras will realise this problem and introduce a rehabilitation programma or something, that would be good!

a nexus evolved between narcotic smugglers from Pakistan and local insurgent groups who used the proceeds to fund their "war of liberation" for an independent Sikh homeland.

Woah this is insanity! This is some crazy hypocritical shiz!

[West London Singh]

Of course....there are 2 ways of looking at this. The first way is to be worried. The second way is to realise that if every country used alcohol, cigarettes and over the counter medicines such as cough syrup etc in its official list of what constitutes a 'drug addict', than those other nations have between 95& and 99% of their populations as officially 'drug addicts'. And by comparison therefore, Punjab's figure of 70% is relatively tiny.

No, the only thing that upsets me about these statistics from Punjab is the way in which hard drugs such as Heroin are trivialised by being put in the same bracket as cough syrup. I believe that is why there are so many heroin addicts there. Their stigma in society is the same as the man who secretly buys some cough mixture because he's...er...... got a sore throat.

[S1ngh]

Of course....there are 2 ways of looking at this. The first way is to be worried. The second way is to realise that if every country used alcohol, cigarettes and over the counter medicines such as cough syrup etc in its official list of what constitutes a 'drug addict', than those other nations have between 95& and 99% of their populations as officially 'drug addicts'. And by comparison therefore, Punjab's figure of 70% is relatively tiny.

Care to explain why they drink/take over the counter medicine when nothing is wrong with them (medical wise)??

[West London Singh]

Care to explain why they drink/take over the counter medicine when nothing is wrong with them (medical wise)??

No I wouldn't. In the same why I wouldn't ask you to explain why millions of people each day in this country take paracetemol, asprins and valium when there is nothing wrong with them (medical wise). The difference is that sane countries do not put people addicted to the 'well-being' feeling they get from taking it in the same bracket as 'drug addicts'. If they did......then every school boy and girl (including myself) that ever took a sneaky sniff at the geography teachers marker pen would be confined to the 'drug addict' register. The result, as we see in Punjab, is the trivialising of truly dreadfull hard drugs such as 'heroin'. Because of it's silly association with things that shouldn't really be on that list the people there see 'smack' as only and just as bad as cough syrup. That can't be a good thing for anybody.

[gurdssingh]

Having spent alot of time in Punjab I can 100% assure you guys it is a major problem. Smack in is not powder form of herion it is Herion. Herion comes in powder form. Lots of punjabi youth are hooked on it. Living in Southall and having come from the midlands I know youths who sell their land in punjab to come UK to make a living and prosper BUT when here they get back on gear in this country, and mess up everything and get in DEBT.

We as a quam need to get together and rid our brothers of this evil drug, only by understanding them and not looking down upon them. Raising awareness we can rid our future of this.

It is no exgageration millions of punjabis are on smack.