The New Nation - Internet Edition

ACCORDING to Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), 46 lakh drug addicts in the country spend at least Tk 46 crore on drugs every day. Based on these figures the annual wastage of resources comes to about Tk 17,000 crore, which is around 17 percent of the proposed national budget for 2008-09. It is estimated that some one lakh people are involved in drug trafficking about 30 percent of whom are women and children. These statistics are based on a survey conducted in 2004. Present figures are likely to be much higher. Because of Bangladesh's being a transit for international drug trafficking, drugs are easily available here.

Drug abuse has far reaching implications for the society. It is a menace and corrodes society from within. It gives rise to drug-related crimes. How seriously drug addiction affects family life and society can be perceived from a recent report that a mother killed her addicted son. Drug addiction is destroying the youths, the future of the country. According to statistics, around 75 percent of the drug addicts are aged between 15 and 30 years. Involvement of children in drug trafficking creates the social base of future criminals.

The society must be saved from the impending threat posed by drugs. Concerned agencies of the government must raise themselves to the level where they can effectively fight drug abuse. The DNC must urgently be made fully functional by providing necessary manpower and logistics support. The drug traders must be given severe punishment and brought under speedy trial for quicker disposal of the cases against them. At the same time, public awareness about the harmful effects of drugs must be raised and social resistance against the spread of drug addiction created. Only concerted efforts of all stakeholders can help contain the menace.