Fighting addiction: Experts demand survey on drug abuse

Rehab centre in Quetta shut down due to lack of staff


APP December 03, 2018
PHOTO: REUTERS / FILE

ISLAMABAD: With drug abuse considered as a growing menace, medical experts have called for conducting a comprehensive survey at the national level to identify the factors leading to drug abuse and discover the level of damage drugs have done to the society so far.

This was stated by medical specialist Professor Dr Faisal Iftikhar while speaking about curbing drug addiction in the country. He suggested that the government arrange an anti-drug drive in an effort to discourage drug use.

He advised the government to arrange awareness seminars, lectures, walks, sports events, tableaus, essay competitions, and free medical camps, advertisements to educate youth about drug abuse.

His comments came as the Ministry of Narcotics Control (MNC) launched a Youth Ambassador Programme in educational institutions across the country to educate youngsters about the dangers of drug abuse.  An MNC official said that youngsters are being educated about drugs abuse from as early as class VI-VIII in the federal and provincial government schools.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation centres in Islamabad, Sukkur and Karachi have been established to provide free treatment, free boarding and lodging to drug addicts.

However, the rehabilitation centre in Quetta had been closed due to unavailability of staff, he said, adding that around 15,289 drug addicts had been treated in these centres so far.

Moreover, he informed that the ministry was also conducting a fresh survey to dig out drug addicts from across the country and to treat them in rehabilitation centres.

"About 1.1 million of the youth aged between 18 to 28 years are drug addicts. The ministry has conducted 352 awareness activities during the last five years across the country to create awareness among the masses about hazards of drugs," he said.

Furthermore, he added that according to a survey conducted in Pakistan a few years back, around 6.7 million people aged between 15 to 64 years were drug addicts.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2018.

 

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