It is startling but no one seems to care that the police found 102 dead bodies of drug addicts in Lahore over the last six months. With drug addiction on the rise, major cities across the country are plagued with this issue. In a comprehensive report, the Lahore police have shared that statistics indicate there are millions of drug users just in the city alone, many of whom are dying on the roadside. “Inhalant abuse among street children” is also a major cause for concern.
The dilemma is of associating drug addicts with criminals who ought to be cast out of society and put behind bars because of the immoral and horrid things they do. There are many instances where roadside drug abusers are tortured by the police and beaten up by onlookers who also tend to douse them with cold water. But ask yourselves, is this really a solution? Will this help stop people from using and abusing drugs in the future? Isolation from family and society leads drug abusers into a vicious cycle of wanting to resort to more drug as an escape from reality and for survivability. It is our sheer neglect of a serious problem that has aggravated out of hand. Apart from families and friends, it is equally the responsibility of the state to help and protect these vulnerable drug users, many of whom have fallen astray. As far as LEAs are concerned, the Lahore police’s report has some viable solutions that can be implemented.
Establishing rehab centres is a must for providing physical as well as psychological help as existing methods being used in Pakistan remain outdated. Moreover, the recommendation of establishment of ‘Drug Victim Support Squads’ will help immensely in identifying and supporting existing drug users. It is reassuring to know that the Lahore police believe that criminal action against the drug abusers is insufficient. But has there been any serious action on it?
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2022.
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