KARACHI:
Drug addiction has quietly become one of the most devastating crises facing Pakistani society today, and our silence is making it worse. According to UNODC data, Pakistan has over 8 million drug users — a number growing by roughly 40,000 per year. First-time use typically begins between ages 16 and 18. Narcotics are being sold openly near schools and colleges because demand is high and consequences remain low. The Sindh Government’s recent crackdown on drug dealers is welcome. But enforcement alone has never won this battle anywhere in the world.
Pakistan’s rehabilitation capacity is drastically insufficient for its millions of drug-dependent citizens. The majority of existing facilities offer only basic detoxification, not actual rehabilitation. Without expanding these services, every arrested dealer is simply replaced. Countries like Portugal, which redirected resources into treatment and education after 2001, saw a significant drop in drug-related deaths within two decades.
The government must continue this crackdown consistently, not as a seasonal operation. At the same time, rehabilitation, school counselling and public awareness campaigns must be treated as equal priorities. Parents and teachers also carry responsibilities that no policy can replace. A drug-free society is built through attention, education and genuine care for our youth, not through arrests alone.
Arbaz khan
Hyderabad
