Drugs: You Use, You Lose

A constellation of Bollywood stars gathered at renowned filmmaker Karan Johar’s place for a party last Saturday. Guests, including Deepika Padukone, Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, seem to be having a great time, as Johar himself captures the moments; to share a clip on his Instagram, with a caption “Saturday night vibes”. The video has yet received over one and a half million views.

One notices in the video that many of the attendees of the party are stoned. After all, what’s a party without booze and drugs? Things are however, believed to be different in our country, where alcohol is banned and drugs are prohibited, under the laws that are derived from Islamic principles.

Although these laws are apparently held on to, by prohibiting use of booze and drugs and making their selling a punishable offence. However, on ground, the picture shows a different story. A well-known Pakistani media celebrity Minal (pseudonym) informed Baaghi TV that drugs like Cocaine and LSD are widely used in Pakistani industry, too. According to her, the use of such drugs is not only limited for the sake pleasure but it is also used as a coping agent for problems like anxiety, stress or depression.

The use of recreational drugs is not confined merely to fashion and showbiz industry, media celebrities, elite class or any particular section of society; recent reports have shown their increasing spread and usage among youngsters. A great number of university students and high schoolers are found to be habitual of taking drugs like cocaine, marijuana, Ice (crystal methamphetamine) and LSD; some even to the degree of addiction. Most users claim that the tendency of these drugs to relieve stress and lower mental pressure is why they find solace in them. While some do it just for the instantaneous pleasure.

Government, despite having organizations like anti-narcotics force and even a ministry specified for narcotics control, is yet unable to implement laws for controlling this menace of ever-increasing spread of drugs, which is engulfing more and more youngsters everyday.

Although, Punjab government constituted a task force comprising ministers of health, higher education, school education, excise taxation and narcotics control as well concerned secretaries, drugs like cocaine and ice are easily available and accessible to the general public and even the school going kids. After all the efforts, the project may be termed as unsuccessful or a failed intervention.

Drugs are destroying the lives of our youth and putting their future in a great darkness. There is a dire need of action and implementation of laws from the Government of Pakistan in order to save the lives of our youth.