Higher and higher

Hashish is the most commonly used substance, while there are some 450,000 injecting drug users in the country.

Drug abuse is a problem we talk about with increasing infrequency. Yet, a report presented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates it continues to rise. The technical summary for 2013, presented at a seminar held by the National Council of Social Welfare to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, stated over six million Pakistanis used drugs during the year. Hashish was the most commonly used substance, while there were also some 450,000 injecting drug users in the country — almost all of them men. This figure has remained more or less static for many years and suggests we are making little headway against the use of heroin and other injectable drugs. Seven thousand women now count among users and past studies have shown that with such use often kept “hidden”, due to social factors, the actual number may be higher with female users receiving least help and support.

Also of concern is the UNODC finding on the high rate of misuse of opiate-based painkillers, with nearly 1.7 million people, 930,000 of them men and 760,000 women, resorting to them last year. As we all know, painkillers and indeed all kinds of other medicines which should be sold on prescription are easily available over the counter in our country. This, of course, explains their wide usage, especially among women who have easy access to them. As was stressed by the speakers at the seminar, the government needs to develop a policy to prevent drug use of all kinds. Given the wide ranging nature of the problem, the policy will need to be fairly wide in its outlook. We also need to consider the social issues as to why drugs are used so frequently. Depression, as pointed out by mental health organisations, is clearly a factor in this. What we require is a strategy to raise awareness on the danger of drug abuse of all kinds, including that of pills easily bought at pharmacies and tighten up laws which can prevent the sale of these pills and potions with ease.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2013.

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