It seems every other day the law enforcers seize a huge cache of yaba– a methamphetamine which is currently all the rage in the local drug circuit– yet the prevalence of the abuse of this drug is increasing unabated. There can be hardly any doubt that the number of drug addicts is increasing at a rapid rate. And the preferred choice of drugs for a large number of drug abusers is Yaba. The seizure of Yaba tablets by law-enforcement agencies in only one single year is a concrete proof of how this drug is slowly killing the country's youth. According to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), over 19.5 million pieces of Yaba were seized in 2015 alone. Innocuous looking Yaba tablet is small in size and one can easily hide it so the law enforcement agencies must catch the big bosses of this dirty trade. In 1914, the figure stood at 6.7 million pieces. The recipe of Yaba is available on the Net and it is believed that the drug is being manufactured in Bangladesh as well.
Before Yaba arrived on the scene, addiction among girls was rare in Bangladesh. However, apparently as many, if not more girls, abuse Yaba as their male counterparts now. Initially at least Yaba gained popularity because of its supposed aphrodisiac properties. Substance abuse has been prevalent in every society, and we can’t hope ours to be an exception. Long-term Yaba users can experience physiological, psychological, and neurological damage that lasts long after the withdrawal period. Long-term effects also include depression, suicide and heart attacks. Also Yaba addicts are highly prone to violent behaviour. An unfortunate aspect of yaba addiction as disclosures made by law enforcers from time to time show, the more posh the areas the more the addiction among youngsters. And the more ‘standard’ the schools and the universities the higher is the percentage of addiction among their pupils.
Unfortunately the norm in most families here is to deny that there is a drug problem. This sort of attitude is a serious impediment in combating the problem. After all, the first thing one should do while dealing with any problem is to admit it exists. The addiction treatment facilities that exist in Bangladesh are highly inadequate. The authorities should take all the necessary steps to deal with the Yaba menace on a war-footing.