What should be done to ensure a drug-free society?

Launch an all-out war against drugs

Drugs and illicit trade is a very serious issue as it has ruined number of families. The role of society, social organisations and family members, play an important role in motivating youngsters to stay away from drugs. Though the administration has been carrying out raids to nab peddlers and the police have succeeded in confiscating contraband on regualr basis, menace of drugs has not ended yet. When most Chinese became opium addicted, Peking launched ‘Opium War’ against the addiction. As drugs offers easy money, people often indulge in this illegal trade. In Punjab, number of surveys have been held, which pionted out that border areas have turned into heaven for drug smugglers. Despite the Border Security Force and the Punjab Police confiscating drugs worth crores of rupees, the menace is ongoing. It’s become difficult for the administration to ensure a drug-free society because it’s up to the masses to create awareness and launch special drives in schools, colleges and universities. Parents, too, should take the matter seriously and discuss the issue with their children regularly. Similarly, the administration, managements of schools and colleges, should ensure that nobody sells cigarettes or tobacco within 700 m area of the campus. But it’s the same government, which generates maximum revenue by selling liquor, even though prices rates are skyrocketing. We all should take an oath to stay away from drugs as crime also increases manifold after consumptions of contraband.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Parents, civic body should work together

There is a need to adopt a multi-faceted approach to fight drug abuse, rehabilitate addicts and motivate youngsters to stay away from drugs. The other step that the administration should take is to spread drug awareness as a preventive measure. Achieving drug de-addiction on a larger scale in Jalandhar is possible if parents and civic body work together.

Akash Kumar

Control easy availability of banned vials

Consumption of drugs is a curse for the entire society. Other than heroin and opium, a number of medicines, including tramadol, have been banned by the government. Such drugs cannot be sold, but still they are easily available. It is for seniors to inform youngsters that consumption of drugs will not just ruin their health, but also create problems for their family members and loved ones. Though the government has opened rehabilitation centres for drug addicts to bring them back in the mainstream, numerous discrepancies have led to their failure and fulfil the commitments. The administration should create more and more awareness among citizens, especially youngsters, as they get hooked to drugs easily and indulge in criminal activities. No doubt seminars and debates are being organised to have a drug-free society, but the meance is far from being getting over. The Indian Armed Forces and the Punjab Police have been working overtime to tackle drug peddling on the international border.

Simmi Mohindru

Success depends on will of society

Drugs have shaken the very foundation of our society, particularly the youths. But to think of a drug-free society is a chimera and a pipe-dream. No country in the world has been able to get rid of this illegal trade. Though Capt Amarinder Singh had taken an oath to stop drug menace, nothing has been achieved on the ground. Unfortunately, acolytes of political parties, are running illegal distilleries and indulging in drug trafficking. The drug trade is mostly carried out through Pakistan because smugglers have safe heavens in Pakistan-Iran and Afghanistan. One nneds to follow carrot and stick policy. Many countries in south east Asia have started imposing death penalty on peddlers. Those indulging in such activities should be handed condign punishment so that it serves a lesson to others. Numerous policemen have been held for assisting smugglers and resorting to peddling. Help should be taken from religious leaders and social activists to enlighten masses, especially youngsters about harmful affects of drugs. Many families have been ruined due to drug addiction. The NGOs have come forward to run drug de-addiction centres, but their success depends on will of the entire society.

Dr JS Wadhwa

Keep constant vigil on children

Any society which is inflicted with curse of drugs is greatly incapacitated to human progress and social prosperity. To prevent this evil to spread further and to rehabilitate those devastated is the foremost responsibility of the government and residents of any civilized society. Two major dimensions - supply and demand - determine the incidence and scope of this menace, which, however, can be eliminated with strategic planning followed by strict enforcement in a time-bound manner. Society first needs to evaluate the process of origin and demand of drugs over a period. For this, family values have to be rediscovered and practiced at micro levels. Parents need to be generally connected with their wards in a way that there is no communication gap between them. The managements and teachers at schools and colleges must keep a constant vigil over the activities, both on campus and off campus, of their students in coordination with parents for monitoring their exposure to drugs and undesirable indulgences. On the other side of supply, unambiguous and comprehensive legislation embracing exemplary punishments followed by strict enforcement thereof is a primary requirement. Special fast tracked courts to deal with drugs traffickers and their illicit activities is the need of the hour.

Jagdish Chander

Combat drug menace with iron hand

The exponential increase in cases of drug abuse and illicit trade in Punjab over the past few years is a cause of concern as it poses a potential challenge to health, social fabric, sustained development and safety of residents. Due to the ISI-sponsored and facilitated smuggling from across the border and production, distribution and sale by local drug cartels and crime syndicates, illicit drugs, including opium, heroin, cocaine and synthetic psychotropic substances, are freely available across the state. Our younger generation and adults fall an easy prey to narcotic addiction out of sheer glamour, stress, unemployment, suffering and deprivation. Had the magnitude of the problem been properly understood in time and the campaign against drugs and illicit trade been carried out earnestly, the situation would have definitely improved. Every political party vows to eradicate this menace in its poll manifesto, but after assuming power, it does nothing truly constructive on the ground level. The need of the hour is to combat the menace effectively with an iron hand so that those blighted by the drug abuse should live a drug-free, happy life. A strict and speedy punitive action should be taken against peddlers and unscrupulous businessmen. Drug abuse is a super self-destructive habit and the addicts should not be treated as criminals, but as compulsive victims. Instead of punishing them, they should be sent to standard rehabilitation centres for care and treatment. The government should spread public awareness about the malpractice of drug trafficking. There should be no political interference in the working of the police. We should enhance border surveillance and security, and show zero tolerance to narcotics for the holistic well-being of the state and its entire populace.

Tajpreet Singh Kang

Implement anti-drug abuse laws

Though drug abuse and illicit trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon, it has assumed alarming proportions in India, particularly in Punjab. The menace has far reaching physical, psychological, economic and social repercussions such as broken ties, distortion of interpersonal relationships, alienation, road accidents, organised crime, social vices, corruption and narco-terrorism. The younger generation is the worst-affected as peddlers target school and college going students who are prone to suffer from depression due to studies and work burden, peer pressure, poor performance, failure in exams, unemployment and so on. Despite frequent seizures of drugs, busting of drug rackets and arrests of notorious smugglers by the Punjab Police under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985, the government has failed to tackle the rampant menace, courtesy political apathy, lack of political will and commitment, and the existence of a powerful nexus between politicians, police and drug mafia. We observe the International Day against Drugs and Illicit Trafficking every year on June 26 as a mere ritual. The fight against drug use should be a collective effort by the government, addicts and their families, social and religious organisations, physicians and psychologists. Taking radical political decisions as part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy, the government should ensure strict implementation of anti-drug abuse laws and initiate penal action against peddlers as well as politically connected crafty dealers, distributors and their patrons involved in this thriving lucrative business. Education curriculum should include chapters on drug abuse to sensitise students about its ill-effects. We should establish quality de-addiction centres and camps for the addicts. All sections of society are enjoined to cooperate with the enforcement agencies to root out this evil and make the state safer from drugs, organised crime, corruption and terrorism.

D S Kang

Parents should offer moral support

Demand and supply of drugs is in abundance. Different kind of drugs are available in the market, which is destroying future of present generation. Children often consume drugs for fun while socialising with friends to escape from stress. It’s difficult to pin point the exact reason, but its a fact that the use of drug is very much prevalent among youngsters. So many campaigns have been launched and rehablitation centres have been started to end the menace, but nothing has changed on the ground. There are some signs or behaviour that can tell about the person who is consuming drugs, such as staying aloof from siblings and family members. It’s the duty of parents not to react in a harsh manner and assist their kids as they need moral support at this particular point of time. They should keep a constant check on friend circle, develop a close relation and trust with their child. Not only boys, but girls are also equally involved in consuming drugs. Strict vigil with honesty at the border is the need of the hour. It needs to be checked that drug seized should are fully destroyed. It’s a matter of concern how the drug are easly available for children. To curb the menace, sporting activities should be developed among children. Small motivational films should be screened in schools, colleges and universities, if we want a drug-free society.

Shashi Kiran

Take stern action against bigwigs

Addiction of liquor and other kinds of intoxicants, including opium, have been prevalent in society since times immemorial. Earlier, it used to be a fascinating addiction for a few elite, but slowly it has percolated among conman through rave parties. To tackle the issue, some sort of ban has been put in place against excessive use of drugs and intoxicants, but the menace is going on unabated. Looking at its adverse impact on global society and public health, the United Nations declared June 26 as the International Day to spread awareness against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. In India, some state governments have taken stringent measures against the illicit trade of liquor and drugs. On the contrary, some states are allowing sale of liquor as a source of revenue generation. They have legalised the trade by moderating conservative use of drugs through higher pricing tag with different brands and licensing by yearly auction of liquor vends. Consequently, due to soaring price difference, poor and mediocre section get tempted to buy spurious liquor. In this way, parallel illicit trade of liquor and drugs has prospered into a big source of making quick bucks. Many unscrupulous elements and even influential persons have jumped in to reap the dividends from this illicit trade. Gradually, apart from liquor and opium, other synthetic drugs, including heroin and smack have become quite common among youngsters, which has led to increase in crime rate and destruction of numerous families in the state. Despite tall promises made by the government to end the menace, drug peddling is flourishing. The sustained campaigns carried to root out drug menace have not yielded the desired results as a number of hooch tragedies and big haul of contraband is reported every day. Even de-addiction centres set up to cure addicts are proving ineffective and thereby earning the public ire of having failed in its mission. The magnitude of illicit trafficking is so much that unless the government takes drastic action against bigwigs and make collective efforts to check cross border/ interstate smuggling of banned drugs, the curse is difficult to be rooted out.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Hold anti-drug drives, street plays

• The drug menace is eating into our social fabric and the economy like a termite and destroying the physical and mental health of our youth who are vulnerable to it. It is a multidimensional problem and needs a similar combative strategy to eradicate it. All children in schools must be made aware of the disastrous effects of the drugs
• Involving youth, social organisations and community leaders in spreading awareness by holding seminars and anti-drug campaigns and street plays can help a lot. The chain of demand and supply of drugs has to be broken to get optimum results. Reducing the supply of drugs by cracking the mafias and their nexus with the politicians and law protectors must be given priority. Stringent legal measures and their enforcement by dedicated enforcement agencies are required to be taken
• It is a global menace and can be controlled by the co-operation of all the governments by actively curbing drug trafficking on the borders. The people already addicted to drugs should be counselled and their treatment must be made affordable and accessible. Combined efforts of all the stakeholders can ensure a drug-free society.

Anil Khanna

QUESTION

Unscheduled power cuts amid an intense heat wave across the state have left residents fuming and fretting. The rising demand of power has exposed chinks in infrastructure and preparedness in tackling with such a situation. What steps should be taken to ensure that residents don't reel under long power cuts in the state?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (July 15).