Battle Against Drug Abuse

Narcotics abuse has been one of the most serious social problems worldwide despite public awareness campaigns in place to prevent this scourge. As per the 2021 World Drug Report unveiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), about 275 million people used drugs in 2020 and more than 36 million suffered from substance use disorders. What is more worrying is that the report has hinted at a rising number of youths being addicted to various drugs. When such persons begin using narcotics, there are higher chances for them to become addicted later in life. They are likely to reel from different health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and sleep disorders during their adulthood. As drug abuse can affect the users’ physical and mental development processes in a negative way, they could choose to make wrong decisions. They are more likely to get involved in risky activities like unsafe sex, brawling and perilous driving.

This menace seems to be taking a toll on Nepali youths as well, with many such persons slipping into the habit of drug abuse every year. According to a survey, there are a total of 130,424 drug users nationwide at present. Of them, the number of males stands at 121,692 (93.3 per cent) while the figure of females is 8,372 (6.7 per cent). The Nepal Drug Users Survey-2020, which was conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), indicates that the country recorded a growth rate of five per cent in the figures of drug users annually from 2013 to 2020. Some 5,000 drug users are now undergoing treatment and about 1,000 others are receiving counselling at various rehabilitation centres nationwide. The survey indicates that most drug abusers take at least one particular form of drug for the first time in their life before an average age of 19 years. 

Records maintained by the MoHA show that well over 6,000 inmates convicted of drug-related offenses have been in different jails. And about eight per cent of the total number of crimes reported across the country is related to drugs. In view of such a startling scenario, the MoHA came up with a National Master Plan on Prevention and Control of Narcotic Drugs 2079-2084 B.S.’ three months ago.  With the implementation of this policy successfully, the problem of substance use is expected to be addressed properly. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been actively working nationwide to combat the problem of drug abuse in an integrated manner. However, it has become a great challenge that the number of drug users has been on the rise. The relevant authorities must take this as a wake-up call and step up more effective measures to deal with this scourge.

Meanwhile, Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand has said that it is everyone's responsibility to protect youths from drug abuse. Youths are most likely to fall into this risky habit. Minister Khand made this call while addressing a programme organised by the MoHA in Kathmandu Sunday on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Since 1987, the anti-drug abuse day has been observed worldwide to contribute towards creating a drug abuse-free world. He assured that the government was working sensitively to cope with the bane of drug abuse. Highlighting the importance of public awareness programmes for tackling the menace of substance use, he added that the school-level students would be made aware of drug abuse by incorporating it in the textbooks as well.