Pakistan is in the grip of a reaching drug epidemic. Millions across the country are hooked on cannabis and heroin flooding in the form of neighboring country Afghanistan. It’s a deadly scourge that is now tagged in every class and age group. Drugs are cheap and easily available everywhere and they destroy human life. Now we see children using heroin under the age of 8,9 years old and it’s not good for their health. They are easily brought because it’s very cheap in price and it’s also a very high dose. UNODC calculates that more than 800,000 Pakistanis ages 15 to 64 use heroin regularly. It is also estimated that up to 44 tons of processed heroin are consumed annually in Pakistan.
The number of these addicts is growing at a rate of 40,000 per year, making Pakistan one of the most drug-affected countries in the world. Drug usage is Increasing day by day. In Pakistan, more than 800,000 people have been addicted to drugs the first step towards drug addiction starts with smoking Research also states that drug usage in movies also influences the behavior of drug consumption among university students. The usage of drugs is very harmful to us and it also affects the youth of Pakistan. We just need to resolve this problem. Nowadays, we see drug addicts easily sitting on the canal road, greenbelts, parapets, footpaths, bridges, and inside the underpasses, injecting themselves with illegal drugs. We all see that the percentage of drug addicts increase day by day. According to research, DT exclusively interviewed the ASP Atif Ameer and asked some questions about drug addicts. He said that there are a lot of drug addicts in our country they all are homeless, and no one looks at them. If they are arrested at the police station nobody comes. These drug addicts are mentally disturbed in their life. The police force is also focusing on the supply reduction of drugs, and taking action against drug suppliers on the streets, schools, and universities. Government should also initiate awareness walks on regular basis to contain and resolve the problem which occurs day by day. It’s badly affecting our country’s youth.
The common drugs used by University students are morphine, opium, cocaine, hashish, and cannabis and the most common causes of students falling into drugs abuse are social or family stress, exam-related anxiety, availability of drugs, and the negative influence of drugs-using friends or hostel fellows, according to experts. While there is no denying that drug abuse is resting alarmingly among university students in Pakistan, the numbers quoted are absolutely baseless. Students are mentally disturbed they used these types of drugs but in different stages of life they need more and more drugs, and at the end of the stage it became a death. According to research, approximately 166 out of 100000 people die of cardiac arrest in hospitals. However, there is no official record available to determine the cause of the daily number of deaths that occur in Pakistan. A rapid increase in drug addiction among students of academic institutions has emerged as a serious social problem confronting the contemporary Pakistani society that constitutes one of the highest proportions of young people in the world.
This study was designed to explore the process that leads to drug addiction among students of higher education institutions and how it affects their everyday activities. To gain insights into the phenomenon, the study deployed the qualitative research approach involving in-depth interviews with drug addict students from these public-sector universities in Pakistan. The data were analyzed through narration and thematic analysis. The results unveil that students consume drugs in the universities without much restriction and risks as
the academic institutions have not taken serious steps to address the issue on their premises. And it also creates a bad impact on our country. We all know that the number of drug addicts is increasing day by day, and it’s not good for the country we need to stop this problem because it mostly affects our young generation and the growth of the country. The government needs to solve this issue. It was not the lack of awareness that drove the students to take drugs but the ease of availability of drugs. Strick law enforcement is the solution to curb and eradicate this curse from campuses. There is an urgent need for Pakistan to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the alarming problem of drug addiction in academic institutions involving all the stakeholders to interrupt the supply chain and punish those who are involved in the heinous crime of trading illicit drugs.
Most of the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan. It should focus on generating employment opportunities, establishing vocational training centers, high-quality education in government institutes, a competitive environment, equality, and opportunities for extra-curricular activities. The procurement of illegal drugs from neighboring countries, especially In Afghanistan should also be monitored keenly. Government should take action and control this situation. In addition, our government should also focus on data collection methods to measure drug use across the country.
