Untold Story Of Drug Addiction In India

Untold Story Of Drug Addiction In India 

 (By Sravani Gokaraju ) 

Image By:- Darshika Singh

Addiction is a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance. It is accepted as a mental illness in the diagnostic nomenclature and results in degrading health, social and economic problems. Although people may be addicted to anything, be it from food to gambling, drug addiction is the most prevailing addiction all over the world. Alcohol, opioids, cocaine, marijuana are some drugs that people mostly get addicted to. Though there are temporary and permanent side effects on the usage of these drugs, the more permanent side effects of addiction in a person include brain changes resulting in drug or alcohol tolerance, impaired learning, decision-making, memory loss, lack in judgment, health problems, organ damage depending on the substance used, increased risk of communicable diseases, accidents, suicide, family strife, work problems, including declining performance, absenteeism, and loss of employment, diminished academic performance, legal issues, financial problems, and many more.  

Signs of drug addiction include a great deal of time being spent using substances or engaging in the problematic behavior, the inability to cut back or quit using or engaging in the behavior, a strong desire to use or engage in the behavior, an inability to fulfill obligations at school, work, or home, relationship or social problems resulting from use or behavior, previously enjoyed hobbies are abandoned in favor of use or behavior, tolerance to the substance or behavior, withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of use or behavior. 

A survey that the UN once conducted on drug addiction, in 2018 shows that India accounts for 30 percent of the population in Asia alone. An increase of 30% was found in the consumption when compared to the statistics in 2009. Other than this, 35 million people worldwide were suffering from drug disorders. Even the death toll has increased, with 5,85,000 people dying in 2017, from drug use. 1564-year-olds seem to inject drugs at a four times higher rate in eastern and southeastern Europe and in Central Asia. Due to the high growing demand for drugs among people, drug selling is the third-largest business in the world, with a turnover of over $500 billion. People from all over the world are falling prey to this addiction and India is no exception.  

In India, another survey was conducted by the government in the year 2019 and the results showed that a certain pattern to drug abuse in the country. Approximately 2.6 crore people in India have used or use opioids and more than 60 lakh people in India suffer from Opioid use disorders. More than half of the people suffering from Opioid abuse are from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. Approximately 1.18 crore people use sedatives and inhalants. 4.6 lakh children and 18 lakh adults need help as a result of inhalant use and these are majorly used in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana. The list and the number of people who use different types of drugs go on and on.  

There has been a sudden spike in the people who use drugs over the past years. This is because of the changing cultural values, increasing economic stress, and dwindling supportive bonds. Drugs are also very easily available today to people of all age groups when compared to previous days. A lot of drugs are available for medical purposes in medical shops. Since they are painkillers, any person could go to a shop and purchase that medicine, saying it is for medical reasons. Even alcohol is majorly available everywhere. In fact, the government gets a major revenue from the taxes paid on purchasing alcohol. A lot of shops even sell it to under-aged children. This easy access has definitely increased drug consumption in the country. This is making addiction a problem to not just older people but also to children as young as 14-year-olds. It has been estimated that, in India, by the time most boys reach the ninth grade, about 50 percent of them have tried at least one of the substances of abuse nature. This makes them lose the human potential to become big and successful. Their future is destroyed.  

Drug addiction has also increased the crimes being committed. Addicts, especially children and people who have very low income choose to steal money in order to buy drugs. Since drugs remove inhibition and impair judgment egging one on to commit offenses, incidences of teasing, group clashes, assault, and impulsive murders have increased with drug abuse. Drug addiction not only affects the addict but also their family. The emotional pain they have to go through is unimaginable. That’s why it’s said that “Addiction is a family disease. One person may use it. But the WHOLE family suffers”. 

Hence, the government should take measures to reduce addiction in India. Medicines should be strictly given just to adults, only after producing a valid prescription from a doctor. Awareness camps must be conducted in schools and colleges so that students and even elders understand the problems one faces upon getting addicted. Even villages should conduct awareness camps often as their ignorance of the negative effects of using drugs can make them more prone to using drugs and getting addicted. Many more rehabilitation centers must be set up for addicts to be able to recover. Even addiction groups must be conducted so that they could motivate and help each other get better. The ones who later become clean should attend awareness camps with others to teach everyone and make people understand better how bad addiction is and how much it affects their life negatively. All the suppliers of illegal drugs must be caught, arrested & convicted with speedy trials. Prices of alcohol must be raised by increasing their taxes. This way, not only does the government still get its revenue from the people who can afford it, but also will force poor people and children to not be able to afford them, reducing the addiction problem. Together, the government and the people must help addicts to recover and bring awareness so that new people don’t get into this bad habit, making India addiction free.  

 

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The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.