By Abdullah Shahid
- The fight against drugs
An increase of 145pc in death, 27,000 executions done with the government’s blessings (Philippines) and 71,000 overdose deaths in its largest market (i.e. USA). These are mere drug related statistics, deprived of the tragedies behind each individual life lost to drugs.
Recently, drugs dominated Pakistan’s unusual news cycle, which is stereotyped to be a medium for political quarrelling or celebrity related tabloids. The spark was fumed with the statement that “45pc of male and 75pc of female students in Islamabad’s private schools are hooked to ice”. It was said by Interior Minister Sheryaar Khan Afridi and man whose name sounds awfully a lot like that of cricketer Shahid Afridi.
This issue was hotly politicised by the members of the “obsolete chit chat club” otherwise known by its much fancier title of “Parliament”. These politicised debates have been our Parliament’s regular routine and just like any other legislative body in this world, it has yielded no substantial progress.
Multiple reports commissioned by the UN have concluded these horrifying facts that 8.9 million Pakistanis are “officially” considered to be drug addicts, unofficially that figure is likely to be many times higher. In 2009, there were 90,000 injecting drug users, five years later that in 2014 that figure was rested at 500,000.
For Pakistan, it shouldn’t come as a surprise knowing our bordering neighbours happen to be Afghanistan and China. 75pc of the global heroin trade could be blamed at Afghanistan, owing to opium’s natural affection for Afghani geography. The illegal opium usage in China is still unknown but it’s extent could be estimated by an astonishing fact that China produces 14 metric tonnes of opium for legal medicinal use. As a great admirer of China itself, Pakistan is likely to follow their lead into solving this problem.
Under Mao Zedong’s rule, treatment centres were forcefully filled with 10 million addicts, followed by executions of those supplying the drugs. Casualties in Chinese history have stacked higher than usual, specially in regards to their conventional approach to combatting this issue. Under its dynastical Qing Empire, it fought two Opium Wars, at a time its economy was the largest. Although the context leading up to the war is unrelated to this case, yet it shouldn’t be neglected that the substance over which it was fought (opium) had scattered the once mighty Empire.
Mothers and fathers still haven’t fully recovered from the losses incurred by Pakistan’s war on terror, worse off, no parent can ever recover from such loss of life
Some would call that explanation null and void citing it as ancient history. United State’s ongoing war on drugs might lend some relativity as their eradication process too follows a pattern akin to Mao’s China. The actor-turned-President Reagan spent billions on the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which still works actively in Mexico, Colombia and other Latin American regions where cocaine trade is rampant. The problem was, drug cartel held a monopoly on the supply and the smaller cartels were eager to be on the number one spot, whenever its current holder fell victim to the DEA or the local authorities. Inside their own borders, the US authorities initiated harsh policies, ones that would be aided by their courts. As a result, the highest incarnation rate belongs to the USA, a position it isn’t shameful of.
The tormenting effects caused by drugs is radiant with the potential to shake up societies, institutions and families. Its an aspect which was coherently summarised by a former police reporter, David Simon, in his docu-drama series “The Wire”, a Shakespearean concept praised globally for its accuracy and relativity.
Mothers and fathers still haven’t fully recovered from the losses incurred by Pakistan’s war on terror, worse off, no parent can ever recover from such loss of life. There is no magic formula for combatting this issue of drugs, only a combination of multiple reforms like rehabilitation or treatment centres could be classified as a step towards progress.
War on drugs will require an unconventional approach, one that emphasises loving and caring for addicts as opposed to punishments and jails. That concept is largely a fantasy, made impossible by the grim reality of our current world where progress and reforms are frowned upon.
