Countering the drug menace

Ritesh K Srivastav



Drug abuse and its illicit trafficking not only lead to a complex set of social, medical and psychological problems, but also have an adverse effect on the world economy. Despite concerted efforts by the international community to prevent misuse of drugs and its illegal trafficking, it continues to flourish in several parts of the globe.
Production of drugs and its trade has so far shown no signs of decline. Instead, the trade in illegal drugs has now become a multi-billion dollar global business. According to the UN estimates, more than 50 million people across the globe are regular users of heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs like Ecstasy. The UN report claims that millions of others are directly or indirectly involved in its production, trafficking or sale.



The latest findings by the UN agencies state that illegal global drug trade generates a whopping USD 400 billion a year, providing employment opportunities to thousands of people both legally and illegally. Drugs business is also controlled by the demand and supply factor as in any other industry. The prices of drugs escalate if there is any shortage of raw material like coca leaf or opium. Similarly, the prices go down if the raw material and drugs are available in abundance.



According to experts, fighting drug menace has become an uphill task, as it is widely prevalent, cutting across age, class and gender.



The easy availability of drugs, curiosity, peer approval are the factors responsible for drug abuse among the youth. According to psychiatrists, the addicts also indulge in high-risk behaviours such as unsafe sex and needle sharing, which further contribute to the spread of contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.



Making the fight against drugs a difficult task, a large number of people, who are often referred to as “hidden population” refuse to take up any medical help to get rid of it. The matter by and large remains unreported and thus makes it difficult for the international agencies to assess the problem, estimate costs, both social and economic, and formulate intervention strategies.



What is drug abuse




The term drug abuse applies to the illegal, non-medical use of a limited number of substances, most of them drugs, which have properties of altering the mental state in ways that are considered by social norms and defined by statute to be inappropriate, undesirable, harmful, threatening, or, at minimum, culture-alien.



Some people take psychoactive drugs as a part of medical treatment, while some take drugs to enhance their performance. Alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methaqualone, and opium alkaloids are some of the commonly used drugs. Prolonged use of drugs can cause long-lasting and probably permanent damage to the brain, crippling the person`s judgment and thinking ability. There have been instances where some over enthusiastic teenagers died after using Ecstasy only once.



A global business




Today drugs are produced, trafficked and consumed in almost every country across the world. The end of the Cold War and consequent greater global economic freedom has further added to the drug abuse and its illicit trade.



With the advancement in science and technology and modern communication system, it is now much easier to move legal or illegal goods around the world than ever before. Gone are the days when camels were used to smuggle heroin through Iran and Central Asia.



Heroin and opium produced in war-torn Afghanistan is trafficked through Iran or Central Asia into Turkey and Eastern Europe and on to various international markets in Britain, Holland or Germany.



Cocaine produced in Peru is smuggled into Brazil, across the Atlantic to Nigeria, down to South Africa and northwards to Europe.



Even the demands for scientifically produced synthetic drugs like Ecstasy, which is being trafficked out of Europe to parts of Africa and Middle East, has risen in the past few years.
This last phenomenon is perhaps the most worrying considering the growing popularity of Ecstasy pills, which is presenting a new and frightening challenge.



Stringent measures are being taken by various countries and organisations to disrupt the flow of drugs between developing countries like Afghanistan and the lucrative markets in the West.



Drug trade and narco terrorism




The most frightening aspect of the drug trade is that it is now giving way to narco-terrorism in war-torn states like Afghanistan. The poppy cultivation and drug trade has become an integral part of commercial and political life of the country. The crippling economy of Afghanistan has increasingly become dependent upon drugs.




Even the most influential leaders in Hamid Karazai’s government are said to be involved in the illicit drug trade. The connection between Taliban and drug trade is no longer under wraps. The requisite employment opportunities and infrastructure development is the need of the hour to distract the locals from the drug trade.




World’s top drug production zone





The Golden Crescent

Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan collectively form the Golden Crescent. The area is dominated by Afghanistan’s enormous opium industry, which is probably the biggest in the world. Although, the Taliban militia has banned the opium trade, it is still flourishing in practice. Not only the Taliban regime has taxed it, and relies on it for revenues, but the opponent militias also reap the profits of illicit poppy cultivation. The opium production in Afghanistan was recorded at 1,670 tonnes, which was much higher than Pakistan’s, where opium production fell to an all-time low of 37 tonnes.



The Golden Triangle

Burma, Laos and Thailand together constitute the Golden Triangle, which is the world’s largest source of opium. However, the opium crop in this zone has been badly hit by famine and severe drought in the past few years.



Colombia

From being a refining center for coca harvested elsewhere in the Andes in the early nineties, Colombia has come a long way to become the world’s largest producer in 1997. Opium production, which has increased over the years, has made Colombia a leading supplier of heroin to the US. Coca production in Colombia now takes place in the southern regions of the country, which are controlled by the Leftist guerrillas.



Peru

During the 1990s, Peru was one of the world’s main producers of coca. However, the country’s crop saw a decline in the coming decade, and the output plummeted following government orders to shoot down aircraft heading for refining plants in Colombia. The decline of the Shining Path Maoist guerrillas also made it easier for authorities to uproot crops, while the US has spent USD 60m on encouraging alternatives, such as coffee.



Morocco

Morocco is one of the world`s largest producers and exporters of cannabis, which is also the backbone of the country’s economy. According to reports, an estimated 2,000 tonnes of Moroccan cannabis reaches Europe annually via straits of Gibraltar to Spain in the form of hashish. In many parts of northern Morocco, cannabis cultivation is the backbone of the economy.




The Netherlands

The Netherlands is also a leading producer of synthetic drugs, such as Amphetamines and Ecstasy. Most of the Ecstasy available in Europe is manufactured in either the Netherlands or Poland. The Dutch exports of Ecstasy to the US have been on rise in the recent past. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is also a significant producer of Marijuana.



What needs to be done




Timely treatment: Timely medical help is essential to save the drug victim. But in most cases, the warning signals go unattended. The victim often fails to notice the alteration in his normal routine. His family often ignores his late home coming, late sleeping, behavioral changes, his aggressive or rebellious nature as signs of adolescence rather than symptoms of addiction.



Family counseling: It helps the family of the drug addict to understand the seriousness of the issue that dealing with an addict can be physically or emotionally exhaustive. It helps the family members to be able to deal with the situation amicably without getting getting angry, judgmental or frustrated.



Drug education programs: They have also played a major role in the fight against drug abuse. It has prevented millions from falling into the death trap thereby putting the onus on our shoulders to ensure that our coming generations are empowered with all the facts so they can decide to lead a drug-free life.



Hope, support and motivation: These simple things can also play a vital role in helping a drug victim get rid of addiction. It is important for the family members of the addict to understand that drug abuse is a curable if the patient is provided with appropriate and timely medical and psychological help.



Identifying causes: People start on drugs for a number of reasons, from curiosity and recreation to the need to cope with stress. What begins as abuse can often lead to dependence. Physically, the body develops tolerance for it, and more of the drug is needed to experience the same effect. This leads to increases in consumption, which eventually leads to physical dependence. At that stage, lack of the drug causes severe withdrawal symptoms, which disappear if the drug is taken again; this ensures that abusers remain hooked.



Need for extensive data & research work: The fight against drug emphasizes the need for extensive research work, data and information in a bid to tackle the issue. The government sponsored surveys, compiling data from new patients at treatment centres, a Rapid Assessment Survey (RAS), information obtained from interviews with drug users, key informants and focus group discussions can help in measuring the intensity of problem in various zones.



Global effort to counter the drug menace: In view of the threats posed by the flourishing drug trade, the world leaders attending the UN General Assembly in 1987 pledged to strengthen action and international cooperation to achieve the goal of a society free of drug abuse.



The international community observes June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Every year, the day comes as a grim reminder to us that hundreds and thousands of our brethren die every year due to drug addiction and lack of medical help.



The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) plays a vital role in fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking worldwide. UNODC, which consists of the UN International Drug Control Programme and the UN Centre for International Crime Prevention, addresses the interrelated issues of drug control, crime prevention and international terrorism in all its forms.



1998 UN General Assembly Special Session on the global drug problem-
Nearly a decade ago, the UN General Assembly acknowledged that drug abuse and its illicit trafficking is a global problem and issued a political declaration to counter the threats posed by it.



The UNODC launched its anti-drugs campaign last year on June 26 carrying slogans such as "Do drugs control your life? and “Your life, Your community. No place for drugs." The UN campaign aims at focusing on different aspects of drug control, drug abuse, drug cultivation and production, and illicit drug trafficking in the next three years.
The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness among people and mobilize support for drug control. The UN office also aims at creating awareness about the ill effects of the illicit drugs on society.



Government in several nations across the globe have extended their unconditional support to various programs aimed at abolishing the use of drugs and encouraging more and more people to lead a life free of drugs. Similarly children in hundreds of schools in many country have been encouraged to participate in drug education lectures as part of the “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program. The collective efforts by the governments have yielded positive results as the consumption of ecstasy has dropped by 65% across all targeted age group across the globe in recent years.

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