Only a ruthless war against drug abuse can end the menace

Drug abuse has become a complex, all pervasive and multidimensional issue. It is eating into the socio-economic and cultural vitals around the world, affecting individuals, families and communities. Its tentacles are spread deep and wide, leading to detrimental physical, psychological, and social consequences. From prescription medications, illicit drugs or even legal substances like alcohol and tobacco, drug abuse poses a significant threat to public health. There is hardly any place in the world, which is not struggling with the menace of drug abuse.

The reasons behind drug abuse are multifaceted, often stemming from a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Some individuals turn to drugs as a means to escape from emotional pain, cope with stress, or seek pleasure, unaware of the devastating toll it takes on their lives. Others may experiment out of sheer curiosity or peer pressure, unwittingly falling into a destructive pattern of dependency and addiction.

Notwithstanding all efforts, we do not have any respite from the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

According to the World Drug Report-2023 (WDR-2023), continued record illicit drug supply and increasingly agile trafficking networks are compounding intersecting global crises and challenging health services and law enforcement responses. New data put the global estimate of people who injected drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug-use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years. The report also highlights how social and economic inequalities drive – and are driven by – drug challenges; the environmental devastation and human rights abuses caused by illicit drug economies and the rising dominance of synthetic drugs.

The demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet, according to the report. Only one in five people suffering from drug-related disorders were in treatment in 2021, with widening disparities in access to treatment across regions. Youth are most vulnerable and more severely affected by substance use disorder in several regions. In Africa, 70 per cent of people in treatment are under the age of 35.

In the words of UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly: “Treatment is failing to reach all of those who need it. We need to step up responses against drug trafficking rings that are exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially of synthetic drugs, fuelling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities.”

Unfortunately, India is not an exception as far as the magnitude of drug abuse is concerned. According to the national survey on extent and pattern of substance use in India, conducted by the Ministry through Ghaziabad-based AIIMS National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), during 2018, 6.06 per cent of children and adolescents aged 10-17 years were found to be consuming alcohol, cannabis, opioids, sedatives, inhalants, cocaine, amphetamine type stimulants and hallucinogens. It was 24.71 per cent as regards adults aged between 18 and 75. Given the repercussions of drug abuse, India is determined to reach out to the victims with help.

Under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) programme, efforts are made for capacity building, skill development and vocational training and livelihood support for drug addicts. During 2021-22, there were 2,85,559 beneficiaries under the NAPDDR scheme. Similarly, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) was launched in August 2020 to fight the menace of drug abuse.

Public health, prevention, and access to treatment services should be prioritized and expanded along with law enforcement responses to keep pace with agile criminal business models and proliferation of cheap synthetic drugs that are easy to bring to the market. Without well-designed, adequately researched frameworks in place, there may be too little access for those who need treatment – potentially causing patients to turn to illegal markets – or conversely, the psychedelics may be diverted for non-medical use. Some 86 per cent of the world’s population live in countries with too little access to pharmaceutical opioids, mainly low and middle-income countries. Illicit drug economies accelerate conflicts, human rights abuses, and environmental devastation. For example, the drug economy in the Amazon Basin is exacerbating additional criminal activities such as illegal logging, illegal mining, encroachments, wildlife trafficking and damaging the environment of the world’s largest rainforest.

According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah the battle against drug abuse cannot be won without people’s participation. It requires coordination of all stakeholders in plugging of loopholes. Thanks to the intensified efforts of the authorities, drugs worth Rs 22,000 crore were seized during 2014-22 as compared to drugs worth Rs 768 crore seized from 2006 to 2013. Around 181 per cent more cases were registered against peddlers in comparison to the earlier period. As part of the destruction campaign to prevent re-use of seized drugs, launched in June 2022, around six lakh kg of seized narcotics has been destroyed across the country. Last but not the least, there is no scope for complacency in the fight against the menace. Physical health deteriorates as the body becomes dependent on substances. It strains healthcare systems, burdens criminal justice systems and contributes to productivity losses in the workplace. Addressing drug abuse needs an all-inclusive approach that encompasses prevention, education, treatment, and support. It involves raising awareness about the consequences of drug abuse, promoting healthy coping mechanisms, providing accessible treatment options, and fostering a supportive environment for individuals in recovery.

(The writer is a senior journalist, columnist and author. The views expressed are his personal opinions)