Multiple drug abuse common in Punjab

[s s Jhamka]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa

vaheguru ji ki fateh

this is real sad

first kill the youth by bullets and kill them will drugs

may guru ji give us strength to fight on all fronts

lets do Ardas for our brothers and sisters

akaaal

Multiple drug abuse common in Punjab

P.P.S. Gill

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041015/...5/punjab1.htm#6

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 14

Is Punjab drugged? Yes, if official figures are an indication. And when the government puts drug trafficking and drug menace on its agenda for talks with the Centre to seek financial and technical help to combat this, the answer is more in the affirmative.

The Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh, is on record having expressed concern that a state-sponsored “secret” survey in Ludhiana had revealed that 67 per cent boys and 52 per cent girls in schools and colleges took drugs. He favours a national drug policy to deal with the malady.

To evolve an action plan to tackle the problem of drug abuse, the Punjab Chief Secretary, Mr Jai Singh Gill, chaired a meeting recently, where the following statistics were revealed, though police representatives had disagreed and tried to downplay the magnitude of the problem:

Multiple drug abuse is common. There is at least one drug addict in a family in over 66 per cent households in Doaba and Majha. Drug addiction afflicts 49 per cent households in urban slum areas and 70 per cent in villages. Approximately 40 per cent youth in the age group of 15 years and 25 years are drug addicts. If narcotics grow on the

youth of Majha and Malwa, tranquilisers allure the youth in Doaba.

Who is responsible for this growing menace, its ill-effects on health and emergence as a social evil ? How is it linked to HIV/AIDS infection in intravenous drug users and sex workers? Which are the main sources of drug trafficking and who all patronise this illegal trade? What type of intoxicants, apart from liquor, are prevalent? What factors promote drug abuse? Is the existing law sufficient to deal with this menace? What role can social and religious organisations and NGOs play to educate the people and make them aware of the devastating damage drugs cause to the family’s and society’s fabric?

The answer to such questions is neither unknown nor hidden. Even the modus operandi and source of smuggling of narcotics, drugs, opium, its derivatives, “bhuki”, poppy husk, smack, heroin, synthetic drugs, etc. are also known.

Now, the Department of Social Security, Women and Children Development has been designated as the nodal agency to deal with this subject. An action plan has been prepared, involving departments of health and family welfare, home, education, public relations. Their functions and targets too have been defined.

The Secretary, Social Security, Mr R.L. Kalsia, says that given the serious dimensions of the menace, involvement of the community is imperative to save Punjab. “It is only co-operative, collaborative effort right from the family to the state, which alone can help save the state and de-addict the users”.

It is surprising that despite a plethora of laws and Acts, enforcement is tardy because of inadequacy of the staff and finances. Just one example would do. In the Department of Health and Family Welfare, there are only 7 drug inspectors and 2 assistant drug controllers at Chandigarh, against the requirement of 72. Yet, the department claims to be “vigorously enforcing” provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act and control the sale of habit-forming drugs to a large extent!

Also, were

the government serious, the nodal agency would have received the promised Rs 2 crore the Chief Minister had announced at a meeting he had chaired to “review” the extent of drug menace, some time back.

Notwithstanding the intra-departmental disputes over statistics on drug trafficking or percentage of drug addicts or role of enforcement agencies or who all patronise drug smuggling racket etc., the fact is drug menace is widespread and deep in society.

Both the nodal agency and the Health Department talk of operational drug de-addiction centres set up them in different districts, official as well as run by NGOs, and say more were required. No doubt, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment gives money for drug de-addiction centres, the funds were too inadequate.

Claims of action taken under various Acts by different agencies notwithstanding, the problem persists and continues to multiply. It is shocking that even village health functionaries are a source of supply of drugs and intoxicants, besides drug-peddlers, who entice farmers, labour, truck drivers. Quacks, chemists and confectionary shops near educational institutions also act as drug conduits.

Mr Kalsia said society needed more psychiatrists, psychologists and social scientists. In Punjab, Dr Rajeev Gupta, who runs a de-addiction centre at Ludhiana, says: “Drug addiction is becoming an important cause of death among youth. Death can be caused because of overdose of the drug or by an anaphylactic (allergic) reaction. It can also result from sudden cardiac arrest for unknown reasons”.

Punjab has faced not only drug menace but also narco-terrorism. The state can not be allowed to become home of dopes! Is there hope of saving Punjab?

[Ghulam Singh]

This is extremely sad news, I am sure the government wont' do anything. Why do anything, when you not only destroyed their gurdwaras, just destroy them as well by drugs and liqour.