~ KIRTI
United_Nations in 1987 nominated 26 June as INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING to free people from the shackles of the addiction caused by these harmful drugs. As per WHO, there are 3.3 million deaths each year due to consuming alcohol, some 31 million persons have drug use disorders. Amongst the people consuming drugs, the ratio of youngsters is more than adults. To address these problems and making people aware of the various hazards of drugs on the body UN celebrate 26 June as INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING.
According to the reports of UNODC, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs inspects the illicit trade amongst various countries. They frame various policies and laws which every government should implement to tackle the problem. Annual reports are prepared after debate and negotiation, to implement and address drugs on the global level.
Different Themes by UNODC
Every year UNODC has different themes to address this problem. Some of them are-
- IN 2017 ‘ LISTEN FIRST ’
- IN 2018 ‘LISTENING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH IS THE FIRST STEP TO HELP THEM TO GROW HEALTHY AND SAFE.’
- IN 2019 ‘ HEALTH FOR JUSTICE’
- IN 2020 ‘HEALTH FOR JUSTICE. JUSTICE FOR HEALTH’
Various activities like social media campaigns, discussions, etc. are undertaken by various committees formed to make people aware of and highlighting the issues. Various kinds of drugs have their own effects on the body of human beings. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, crack, alcohol, ecstasy, LSD, etc. are made of harmful ingredients and have catastrophic effects on the human body. Chronic diseases like heart attacks, depressions, blood pressure, increased rate of the heart are caused by these drugs. Increased body temperature, mood swings, hallucinations, vomiting, memory loss are some of the effects which can be seen in the person consuming drugs.
Why do people consume drugs despite knowing the detrimental consequences?
Some of the reasons are:-
- Peer pressure– Many people, especially teenagers and youngsters devour these drugs under the influence of peers. They think consuming drugs is the trait of swaggers.
- Depression– Humdrum or the depressing situations in the life of a person is another factor that makes the person a drug addict.
- Failures– A person who is unable to reach his/her goal and fails finds it difficult to cope up with the situation and therefore, finds relief in drugs.
Everyone has their own rationale for becoming a drug addict. The illegal export and import of drugs throughout the countries are becoming troublesome for everyone. As per sources, Afghanistan is the leading country in the production of drugs and as per reports of UNODC, it is estimated that approximately 3.9% of people aged from 15 years to 65 years are users of cannabis. INDIA imports illicit drugs from the Golden Crescent and Golden triangle. AS per UNDOC, its been reported that 50% of street children in Bangalore are drug addict, and usually have unsafe sex. In some cases, the money spent on drugs caters to the needs of terrorists also.
Drug addicts kneel to any level to procure drugs, eventually selling their properties and all monetary assets, indulging them in doing menial jobs, doing heinous crimes, etc. Women who are addicted to drugs sometimes indulge themselves in prostitution.
Present Scenario
Everything is coming to a standstill as the supply and demand for drugs are also affected as there is no transportation within and amongst the countries. It is noticed that most of the drugs supplied during the pandemic are from ships. As most of the people are unemployed and don’t have any source of income, indulge themselves in illicit trafficking to earn income.
Conclusion
There is an urgent need to stop this illicit trafficking of drugs, otherwise, this will destroy our youth, eventually becoming a hurdle in the development of any country. UNODC on INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING spread awareness and help people in distancing themselves from drugs.
Must Read: https://skchildrenfoundation.org/mental-health-and-its-importance/
