The Drug Abuse problem in Bangladesh
Very often we find in the newspapers the report on drug related arrests, drug seizures and violent clashes between gangs of drug trafficking. On street side we see some people wearing dirty cloths lying unconscious. In clinics patients of different ages are getting treatments on drug related diseases. Worried parents are running from one treatment center to another.
We have experienced some fathers who were very happy with their children, are now ashamed of attending social get together. These are the visible or known cases of drug addiction or trafficking. But out of our sight or knowledge, a huge number of people mainly youngsters are being addicted to drugs. These addicts are changing the mode of drug use – from smoking to injection or taking Yaba and other tablets. This has created a great concern among policy makers about the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C. Most of the people in Bangladesh are not aware about the drug using behaviors and their consequences.
The addicts are unaware about the quality of drugs. They use low quality Heroin – popularly known as brown sugar, Dandy – newly introduce as solution (adhesive) , Cannabis – known as ganja, Poly drugs – known as phensedyl and Yaba or other tablets. Addicts on injection mode use pethidine and tidigesic. In a group of addicts, they are use common syringe for injections which puts them in a higher risk group of being infected with HIV / AIDS.
By Traditional culture of Bangladesh discourages addictive and legally prohibits even alcohol consumption. Society of major people in Bangladesh dose not accepts drinking alcohol as a good practice, even smoking with elderly persons is treated as a crime. For this obstruction Bangladesh has not yet reached a crisis level of drug use problem. But due to liberal administrative action on drug venders, drugs are readily available in the cities & local areas.
The users hardly face any difficulties in procuring their needed doses. Each city has drug venders and they operate in clandestine, with front as a tea stall or other small stall. But the users had known the places. If the price of one drug goes up another new drug enters the market. As price of heroin & phensedyl gradually went up, the buprenorphine – popular known as tidigestic and yaba, dandy or other very harmful low quality drugs enter the market.
From various studies it has already been established that, the problem of drug use is highly correlated with violence, crime, work hour loss, learning disabilities, other mental health problem, family disruption and health problems including interference with normal reproductive functions and long – term damage to the brain, heart and lungs. The most of devastating problem associated with drug use is the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) among injecting drug users (IDUs) and from IDUs to non-injecting or non-drug users through regular sexual contact.
It has been projected that, the numbers of new HIV infections are Asia will overtake the total number of persons with HIV in Africa within coming years if precautionary measure is not taken right now.
In this context, it is essential that Bangladesh take appropriate steps to implement prevention programs, so that no new people initiate drug use. It is necessary that the country takes steps to design targeted intervention programs, so that, current drug abusers do not move to injection mode. It is also necessary to design treatment evaluation programs to increase the effectiveness of the existing treatment programs. Along with these initiatives, the country needs to train its law enforcement agencies to identity and apprehend drug traffickers, dealers, pushers and street level sellers.
However, all these require identification to high risk groups in its population an increase in knowledge about the drug use pattern and the characteristics of drug using behaviors and addiction.
It is good news for us that the present democratic Government realizes the basic problem of drugs and has already taken many significant steps, such as stringent punishment for drug traffickers and venders. The present Government also has taken several projects for youth development and social welfare, especially for women.
GADO believes “prevention is better than cure” Based upon different studies to be carried out by different organizations and the Government departments. Global Anti-Drug Organization GADO Bangladesh Foundation feels this is the right time to fight against the destructive practice of drug abuse which is destroying millions of young lives.
