Drug addiction has been one of the major concerns in the world over the years. Taking drugs may be permissible in many western countries but addiction to drugs is considered an unacceptable norm across the world. Simply, drug addiction refers to the inability to stop using any drug which causes pleasurable effects on the brain. Extreme use of any substance or chemical leads the individuals to addiction.

Drug menace has been more widespread around the world than it is usually thought in these days. As per the World Drug Report-2019, there are some 35 million people who are estimated to suffer from drug abuse. Another source estimates that there are over 190 million drug users in the world. The number of addicts is alarming amid the youths whose age is below 30.

In Bangladesh drug menace is so frustrating. Every society is bearing the brunt of drug menace. It has spread in society like a contagious diseases. Studies show that over the last 20 years the number of drug addicts has increased many times. Certainly, it is not possible to find out the exact number of drug addicts in the country.

But different media sources estimate that more than eight million people are drug addicts in the country. As per the report of 2020, the most of the drug abusers in the country are between 18 and 35 years in age.

There are some common causes behind addiction. These are frustration, mental despondency, peer pressures and economic insolvency. Many claim that unemployment problem leads the youths to drug addiction. Apart from these, sociologists have found some family and social factors that may have the influences on the rampant drug menace.

It is obvious that there may be some who take drugs only for fascination and many other take drugs as a fashion. The most pertinent cause is the availability of drug in every corner of the country. People may experience shortage of any essential in the market for a certain time but addicts never experience the shortage of drugs. Thanks to the drug traffickers and drug dealers who maintain a chain of syndicate to flood drugs in the market, especially to the targeted population.

In the South Asian countries Bangladesh has been a fertile ground for the drug traffickers. The reason is the country’s geographical location. It lies in the crucial point between the ‘golden triangle’ (Mayanmar, Thailand and Laos) and the ‘golden crescent’ (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. On top of that, it is surrounded by many drug producing countries in Asia making the country a transit point for drug trafficking safely that makes us more vulnerable in case of drug battling.

However, it is appreciative that the present government is following a zero tolerance policy against drug trafficking and drug dealings. A war has been announced against those who are dealing drug business and spreading drugs in the country. Again, due to the massive surge of Yaba trade the government passed the Narcotics Control Bill in 2018 with a provision of death sentence and life-term imprisonment as punishment for drug crimes.

Regular drives of the law enforcing agencies are in place to combat the drug menace. Not only that, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said in the previous year that the drug addicts would not get government job. He added that dope test is a must in the recruitment process for entry to government job.

We see that more often drug dealers are killed in gunfight. Along with this, many perpetrators involved in drug crimes are given jail term and punishment of different phases. Despite all these, this menace is not uprooted from society. It seems that killing and jailing them cannot stop the supply of drugs. It is alleged that big fishes in the arena of drug dealings are hardly traced, rather, they are finding innovative strategies to continue their drug business.

However, things are more frustrating when we see that the addicts are finding more scopes to avail their drugs in many alternative ways. Recently, a report of an English daily in the country has revealed that drug addicts in the country are using some medicines as alternative to narcotic items. Sources say that these items are mainly alternatives to Yaba and Phensedyl.

Pethidine, Sedil, Noctin, Essium, Tusca, Fenadin, Histal, O-Morphon and Tapentadol are some of the common medicines the addicts can easily buy from the nearby medicine stores. It is alleged that without doctors’ prescription these medicines are being sold in the pharmacies across the country.

However, the government has banned some medicines which are used for intoxication. But many syndicates are smuggling these medicines into the country from neighboring countries. The medicine experts are worried of the abuse of these medicines rampantly and hinting the drastic consequences which deepen the drug menace. Besides, according to the experts, taking these medicines is as harmful as taking Yaba, Phensedyl and other narcotic substances.

Evidently, drug addicts are not only causing great harms to themselves and their families. Research shows that drug abusers in most cases are responsible for social instability. Rape culture has been a common problem in the country in recent years. Findings show that the criminals who are involved in raping, in many cases are drug addicts. Besides, drug abusers are involved in domestic violence against girls and women.

Again, the juvenile ganging has risen in the cities alarmingly. The members of these gangs most of the time in a day stay drug-addict and roam around their locality and more often they are found involved in fighting over the issue of power influence. They are completely devoid of civic sense along with values in life. Even their parents have hardly control over their sons, rather they may be physically assaulted by their addict sons. It seems that our social values have completely been paralyzed.

However, along with the government’s policies to combat drug menace, taking initiatives from every society and community is a must. Obviously, anti-drug campaign should not be confined in a specific day of the year, rather it is urgent to create massive awareness of drug menace through continuous campaign. As harsh punishments such as killing and jailing the drug dealers cannot stop drug menace to a great extent, it is urgent to boycott perpetrators socially. Again, it is a must to trace out the real masterminds who are spreading drug menace behind the scene.

The writer teaches at Prime University. He is also a research scholar at the IBS. Email: [email protected]