WORLD DRUG DAY

Share Facts on Drugs, Save Lives

Share Facts on Drugs Save Lives, the theme of the 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking aims at combating misinformation and promotes sharing the facts on drugs — from health risks and solutions to tackle the world drug problem, to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care.

35.6 million people suffer from drug use disorders globally, according to the World Drug Report 2020 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Around 269 million people used drugs in 2018, up 30 per cent from 2009. While the increase reflects population growth and other factors, illicit drugs - including opiates and pharmaceutical opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine - are still more available, more diverse and more potent than before, challenging law enforcement, posing greater health risks and complicating efforts to prevent and treat drug use disorders.

Adolescents and young adults are the victims of the menace. Of the 11 million people who inject drugs, half of them is living with hepatitis C, and 1.4 million with HIV.

585,000 died in 2017 in relation to drug use, up one-quarter from 2008. Over the past decade, the total number of deaths due to opioid use disorders went up 71 percent, with a 92 percent increase among women compared with 63 percent among men.

All over the world, it is noticed that risks and consequences of drug use are worsened by poverty, limited opportunities for education and jobs, social stigma and exclusion, frustration which in turn helps to deepen inequalities, moving us further away from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

National Scenario:

India is one of the few countries in the world, where opium is cultivated legally. The cultivation of opium was legalised by Mughl Emperor, Akbar the Great, to facilitate his revenue and later, East India Company expanded the cultivation and permitted the trading of opium mainly to China and other east Asian countries.

Now the licit cultivation takes place in three states of India viz: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This opium cultivation is controlled, regulated and monitored by Central Bureau of Narcotics, under Department of Revenue, Government of India head Quartered in Gwalior under Central Narcotics Commissioner. He is the licensing authority to cultivate, export and import of Opium and opiates. Under the Commissioner, District Opium officers are appointed to oversee the demarcation farming, cultivation, collection, analysis etc. One of the Cultivators of every area will be designated as a Lambardar who will co-ordinate the farming activities of the particular area. He will make entry of the quantity received from the farmers and works like Liaison officers with the field officers of the Commissionerate.

India is flanked by the Golden Crescent on the west and Golden Triangle on the east, the two main sources of over 90% of world’s illicit supply of opium.

The Golden Crescent is the one of the two principal areas of illicit production located at the cross roads of Central, South and western Asia. This space overlaps three nations, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, whose mountainous peripheries define the crescent, though only Afghanistan and Pakistan produce opium, with Iran being a conduit and transhipment route for the smuggled opiates.

Golden Triangle consists of Myanmar,Laos and Thailand extended to an area of around 9,50,000 sq.km.

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances:

a) Narcotic drugs:

These are addictive drugs that reduce the user’s perception of pain and induce euphoria (a feeling of exaggerated and unrealistic well-being). The English word narcotic is derived from the Greek “narkotikos, which means “numbing”. These drugs have a natural source. These are basically three types of narcotic drugs:

1.Cannabis & its Derivatives: Example: Ganja, Charas/Hashish ,Hashish oil etc.

2.Opium & its derivatives: Example: Heroin, Brown sugar etc.

3.Coca & its derivatives: Example: Cocaine, crack etc.

b) Psychotropic substances:

A psychotropic substance is a chemical substance acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behaviour. These substances are synthetically prepared.

These are basically three categories of psychotropic substances:

1. Stimulants : Any drug that excites any bodily function, but more specifically of those that stimulate the brain and central nervous system. Stimulants induce alertness, elevated mood, wakefulness, increased speech and motor activity and decrease appetite. . Taken orally . Attention deficit disorders, narcolepsy, weight control . Increased alertness, excitation, euphoria, loss of sleep and appetite Example: Amphetamines (Benzedrine, Dexedrine etc); Non-amphetamines (Retalin, Preludin)

2. Depressants: A depressant or central depressant, lowers neurotransmission levels, which is to depress or reduce arousal or stimulation, in various areas of the brain. . Orally administered . Anaesthetics, anticonvulsant, sedative . Produces slurred speech, disorientation, drunken behaviour Example: Barbiturates (Barbitol, Phenobarbitol, Amobarbitol, Butabarbitol, Pentobarbitol, Secobarbitol.), Gluthethemide, Chloral hydrate, Methqualone/Mandrax.

3. Hallucinogens

These are the substances which effect the central Nervous System by producing perceptual alterations, intense and varying emotional changes, ego distortions and thought disruptions. Example:LSD(Lysergic acid di-ethylamide) Ecstasy, psilocybin, Angel Dust PCP( Phencyclidine) etc.

Precursors:

Precursors are the substances that are required in the manufacture of synthetic or extraction processes of drug protection, and become incorporated into the drug molecule. Since these substances are used in the manufacture of life-saving drugs as well, they cannot be banned completely and hence a controlled production and procurement is regulated by the Government of India. Therefore, these substances are called controlled substances. The following five substances are declared as controlled substances in India :

1. Acetic Anhydride

2.Ephedrine

3. Pseudo-Ephedrine

4. Anthranilic Acid

5. N -Acetyl-Anthranilic acid

Offences and Punishment:

As per the NDPS Act,1985, No person shall cultivate, produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-State, export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. (except for medical or scientific purposes with proper license, permit or authorization as per provisions of NDPS Act.

Every offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bail able.

On a higher level, punishments are based on the quantity of the drug seized.

(a) where the contravention involves small quantity, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both;

(b) where the contravention involves quantity lesser than commercial quantity but greater than small quantity, (intermediate quantity) with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years and with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees;

(c) where the contravention involves commercial quantity, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend shall be also be liable to fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to two Lakh rupees.

Provided that the court may, for reasons recorded in the judgement, impose a fine exceeding two lakh rupees.

IMPACT OF DRUG ABUSE:

Drug trafficking is an organised crime taking place all over the world and has several ill effects on the society as such. Day by day more and more persons, students, youth, athletes, musicians bands, models, film stars and professionals including ladies are found consuming the drugs. Justifications are to revamp thoughts, style, music, performance, to escape stress, to avoid sleep, to build up muscles and extra vigour. Whatever the reason is gradually being enticed to this menace causing domestic violence, street fights, theft, sexual offences, gang rivalry and even terrorist killings. The impact of the drug abuse can be categorized as follows.

a. Social Impact:

Once it is started, the body system gradually adapted to a stage requiring more and more dose of drug without which the victim cannot survive. He starts resorts to all possible and impossible means of procurement.

He starts indulging in Domestic violence, street fights

Thefts for extra money to meet the cost

Sexual offences due to his changed perception and lose of stability and conscious.

Loss of interest in studies which results in failures and drop-out from educational institutions.

 He is inviting more preys and accomplices for consumptions and crimes.

The income is disproportionate and manifold Social status of family loses which causing irreparable damage to the other family members.

b. Health impact:

Addiction to drugs makes a person physically and mentally weak.

Spread of STDs and HIV increase with usage of common syringes.

Neurological problems.

Madness.

Extensive drug leads to ultimate death.

c. Economic impact:

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances’ cultivation, manufacture and sale offer multi-billion business with nominal investment. The dons of this underworld accumulates billions of dollars and start controlling the national and international politics, business sources and policy makers. They invest this black money into different sectors of society in the form of real estate, institutions and even charitable organisations and extracting sympathies very shrewdly. These investments laundered and come out and competes with legal resources of common citizenry. This is one of the reason for the inflation and the price hike in the markets because this dirty money flows freely to the vested interests’.

d. Law &order:

Drug peddlers are one of the major group causing law and order problem. They have money power and muscle power, so taking the law into their hands and start controlling markets and public places as uncrowned princes. Majority are notorious criminals with past conviction records, they have experiences of hard core crimes and imprisonment.

NARCO TERRORISM:

The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan changed the dynamics of international politics. It was a bolt in the blue as far as US is concerned. Since the day-1 of the occupation, US administration started the tirade and adopted possible strategies to defeat the Soviet Union in the Afghan soil. Taliban, a terrorist organization was formed to fight the Soviet troops. The Taliban found financial source in the cultivation of opium. They financed the poor farmers for the cultivation of the opium all over the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. Opium was collected and start sending across the globe, accumulating drug dollars in Taliban accounts.

The fall of the Soviet empire, changed again the international politics, The Soviet troops were withdrawn and Taliban became the sole power house of the Afghanistan. A puppet Govt was installed and Taliban started exporting the drugs and procuring the arms and ammunition. They injected fundamentalism into the nerves of misguided elements of the religion, who were gradually lured into Taliban stream and started the war against anti-Islamic groups. Subsequently the World Trade Centre was attacked on September 11, when US administration realised the original threat of Taliban and allied forces across the Globe. US interests were attacked by the terrorist groups and US administration was forced to take very stringent actions against the terrorist organizations. One of the main source of the terrorist financial source across the globe is nothing but the sale proceeds of the narcotic drugs.

There is a heavy demand of opium and derivatives in Europe and America due to their affluence and modern lifestyle. The students and youth of the West started feeling isolation in home society, school and colleges. Gradually the opium and psychotropic substances reached their hand of them and they found euphoria and ecstatic feelings of mind and body. Gradually, more youth are enticed into this octopus. The tentacles are entangling the scientifically advanced, economically affluent, academically brilliant younger generation of the West. Then only their governments realizing the problem and called for international Convention in 1961 and later two more convention were assembled and India became a signatory to this international group.

OPIUM BRIDES:

Whether it is war, revolution, famine, drought, womenfolk have to bear a disproportionate burden of suffering and discrimination. Afghanistan was in the headlines for what is being referred to as Opium Brides . An estimated 500,000 Afghan families support themselves by poppy cultivation, according to the UN Office on drugs and Crime (UNODC). Afghan opium farmers often have to borrow money from drug traffickers for growing the illict crop. Failure to repay the loan, results in the daughters being given to the Drug traffickers as settlement. The Afghan governments opium eradication programme has resulted in greater misery for poor farmers. Afghans disparagingly call them loan brides.

A Village of Widows :

If Afghanistan has its “Opium Brides”, India has its “Widows Village”. The state of Punjab, located in close to proximity to the Golden Crescent has become engulfed in an unprecedented Drug epidemic. Maqbool Pura village, situated outside the city of Amritsar, symbolises the extraordinary human crisis faced by Punjab. All the male folks have died due to drug abuse, leaving behind widows and orphaned children, and thus the nickname “Widows Village”. Punjab is the primary gateway for opiates smuggled into India from the Golden Crescent .

Opium Wars

Opium poppy cultivation had long been established in India and had provided an important source of revenue to the Moghul Emperors. In 1761 the East India Company obtained a monopoly over the opium production of British India, and soon afterwards the drug began to be shipped to China as part of the Company’s triangular trade between India, Guangzhou and Britain. These events further led to the opium Wars also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, comprising the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860.

As and when the East India Company had succeeded in annexation of different princely states & provinces of India, the British traders were started exporting opium and its derivatives to China. The British traders are not at all following the local laws of China which result in resistance from the Chinese empire and ultimately this resentment escalated into a full-fledged war called Anglo-Chinese war otherwise it is called Opium war. There were two opium wars between Britain and China. In both the wars Chinese empire was humiliated and defeated ruthlessly. There were naval and artillery attacks, main contingents of the artillery were Indian soldiers from Madras and Punjab regiment. Chinese never won a war except the war against India in 1962. In these two opium wars, the Indian soldiers had devastated the Chinese kingdom and Chinese summer palace. It is told that, the Chinese soldiers too fed with opium by the East India company purposefully leading to the craving and inertia among the Chinese soldiers.

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING

26TH JUNE

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, June 26 has been chosen as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The day is supposed to serve as a reminder of the goals agreed to by the UN Member States of creating an international society free of drug abuse. The objectives are:

1. Telecast of group/panel discussions on ‘Drug Abuse & Law Enforcement on Radio & TV;

2. Organisation of Seminars/Workshops/film shows on drug abuse prevention;

3. Distribution of backdrops, flex banners, posters, signages, pamphlets and publicity through hoardings, slide shows in cinemas & TV Scrolls etc;

4. Organisation of Pledges/Oath ceremonies against drug abuse;

5.Awareness campaigns by coordinating with Schools/colleges/NGOS etc;

6. Holding of Runs/Rallies/Padayatras/Street plays against drug abuse;

7.SMS’s on ‘Drug Abuse Control’ to all mobile subscribers;

8. It is also proposed to develop a Public Service Advertisement on ill effects of drug abuse & law enforcement in collaboration with UNODC, New Delhi.(Writer was Formerly Assistant Director of NCB)