Widespread drug use

Despite growing awareness among people regarding the dangers of drug addiction, the problem is instead growing at a phenomenal rate all over India. States in the north east region, particularly Manipur, during the past decades had earned a dubious distinction of having a very huge number of IDUs and also the highest ratio of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country. North east India is going to face a huge crisis when thousands, some of who are as young as medium primary school students, headed towards becoming a growing nightmare in the region. Drug addiction among many young children in districts close to the Indo-Myanmar border is becoming widespread. In some towns near the Myanmar border, hundreds of children are reportedly addicted to ‘sun flower’ while many are being treated at rehab centres. This is a dangerous situation and society needs to take the call urgently. Drugs produced in the notorious ‘Golden Triangle’ enter India through Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland from Bhamo, Lashio, and Mandalay in Myanmar. Also, drugs illicitly manufactured in India and used for refining heroin travel through the same route for trade. Almost 80 per cent of the world’s production originate from the “Golden Crescent” and the “Golden Triangle” area, now called “Golden Pentagon” with the induction of Vietnam-Cambodia and Nagaland-Manipur in Northeast India. The smuggling route is anywhere from the porous border between Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram etc. Drug seizures by police at Dimapur and mostly at nearby Karbi Anglong indicate that trafficking is going on at a huge scale unimaginable till a few years back. Most shocking is the revelation and as published in this newspaper, that teen aged school children and minors as young as 10 are using drugs. This only exposes how dangerous the situation has become. The magnitude of the quantity of drugs especially heroin, prove that the north east region is a major transit zone of trafficking of various illicit drugs and heroin. It may be recalled that in February 2013, a public relations officer of the Indian Army was caught with Rs.24 crore worth of narcotic drugs consignment in Manipur. Others nabbed included members of a private airline and a family member of a former home minister of Manipur. Not just some members of the armed forces, the police and politicians too have often been indicted in India’s narcotics industry. The magnitude of the quantity of drugs especially heroin, prove that the north east region is a major transit zone of trafficking of various illicit drugs and heroin.. Drug abuse and trafficking have spread worldwide and enforcement has not been able to keep pace with the level of sophistication of traffickers. International drug agencies are confronted with various problems at the micro level due to corruption at the lower levels. In sharp contrast, countries like Singapore or some middle east countries, are virtually free from problems of drug abuse because they strictly enforce stiff laws against use, sale of possession of banned drugs. There is a need to redouble efforts to check drug peddling and also to review the entire border patrolling. The problem of drug smuggling and use will not disappear so easily as the demand has not diminished. Tightening anti-drug laws is no longer an option if the future generation is to be saved.