Neglected drugs crisis

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As parents pay exorbitant amounts of money for their children to attend elite institutions in Islamabad, its students seem to be absorbed in a growing drug crisis. Alarmingly, the police in Islamabad have admitted to neglecting this developing disaster in favour of their protocol services to VIPs.

They claim that maintaining law and order — a supposed extension of providing VIP security — demands "more attention, concentration, vigilance, and planning", leaving limited resources to tend to the issue of drug control. A survey conducted on the influence of drugs on university students' performance shows that about 60% of drug users in Pakistan belong to the educated class, with one in ten college or university students battling addiction.

According to recent investigations, narcotics such as hashish, heroin and methamphetamine are all prolifically used among students in elite schools and universities. Not only is the casual usage of these drugs harmful to health and safety, but they also pose prolonged dangers by offering an illusion of escape and blitheness and then luring young people into a lifestyle that eventually destroys their potential.

It is reported that one in five students has tried drugs at least once, a concerning number owed to the ease of accessibility with which narcotics are distributed on campuses. Students are drawn towards drug usage due to mental health struggles, peer pressure and curiosity.

The drug problem can be curtailed if these reasons are appropriately dealt with and access to narcotics is restricted through enhanced surveillance. But the police seem to have washed their hands of the job after infrequent raids and awareness sessions. As long as they continue to dedicate manpower and resources to VIP duties, the situation is only going to exacerbate. If Islamabad is to become a 'drug-free city', authorities must take strict and punitive actions against the pervasion of drugs on campuses.